Match ends, Bolton Wanderers 2, Port Vale 0.
BoltonBolton Wanderers2Port ValePort Vale0
Port Vale have been relegated from League One following a 2-0 defeat at promotion hopefuls Bolton Wanderers.
Aaron Collins and substitute Cameron Jerome kept Bolton's hopes of automatic promotion alive with second-half goals.
Ian Evatt's side missed a succession of chances and hit the woodwork three times before Collins broke the deadlock after 72 minutes.
A rising right foot shot brought Collins' sixth goal in five games and his eighth since joining the Trotters in January. Veteran Jerome added a second in stoppage time.
Bolton must beat play-off rivals Peterborough on the final day of the season and hope Derby slip up against relegated Carlisle, with a favourable goal swing, to stand a chance of going up.
In contrast, Vale will return to the fourth tier, two years after gaining promotion.
Darren Moore's side have won only 10 of their 45 games, achieving five of those victories in the first six weeks of the season.
'Fighting chance evaporated'
Back-to-back wins in March gave Vale what Moore described as a "fighting chance" of staying up.
But the feel-good factor quickly evaporated. They failed to score in their following three matches, picking up just one point in the process, and defeats in the subsequent three games have sealed their fate.
Less than a year ago, Moore's stock was high. His departure from Sheffield Wednesday raised eyebrows, coming just weeks after he had led the club to promotion to the Championship. He then lasted just five months at Huddersfield before being sacked.
In mid-February, he took over at Vale, signing a five-and-a-half-year contract following the sacking of Andy Crosby, who left with the club two points above the relegation zone and with games in hand.
Hopes were high of an improvement under Moore, but instead things got worse. They have lost 11 of his 16 matches in charge, with those two wins in March their only victories so far.
Despite reaching the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup, it has been a miserable season for Vale and they have seemed to be in freefall for some time.
Fans have been increasingly frustrated and much of their anger was aimed at David Flitcroft, who left the club last month after three years as director of football.
Match details supplied by PA Media.
Line-ups
Bolton
Formation 3-1-4-2
- 1Baxter
- 2Jones
- 21Taylor
- 18ToalBooked at 79mins
- 8SheehanSubstituted forMorleyat 86'minutes
- 12Dacres-Cogley
- 19MaghomaBooked at 70mins
- 4ThomasonSubstituted forDempseyat 70'minutes
- 27Williams
- 10CharlesBooked at 70minsSubstituted forNlunduluat 80'minutes
- 28CollinsSubstituted forJeromeat 86'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Iredale
- 11Nlundulu
- 13Coleman
- 16Morley
- 22Dempsey
- 26Ashworth
- 35Jerome
Port Vale
Formation 3-4-1-2
- 1Ripley
- 27Debrah
- 6Smith
- 17IacovittiSubstituted forWeirat 77'minutes
- 4Sang
- 24WaltersSubstituted forDipepaat 65'minutes
- 14Ojo
- 15GrantSubstituted forShorrockat 30'minutes
- 10Chislett
- 8GarrityBooked at 70mins
- 12IkpeazuSubstituted forLoftat 45'minutes
Substitutes
- 5Lopata
- 9Loft
- 13Leutwiler
- 19Massey
- 20Weir
- 23Shorrock
- 25Dipepa
- Referee:
- Charles Breakspear
- Attendance:
- 22,311
Match Stats
Home TeamBoltonAway TeamPort Vale
- Possession
- Home72%
- Away28%
- Shots
- Home27
- Away9
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away3
- Corners
- Home6
- Away3
- Fouls
- Home12
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Bolton Wanderers 2, Port Vale 0.
Goal!
Goal! Bolton Wanderers 2, Port Vale 0. Cameron Jerome (Bolton Wanderers) header from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Paris Maghoma.
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Foul by Cameron Jerome (Bolton Wanderers).
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Funso Ojo (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Tom Sang (Port Vale) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Ryan Loft.
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Attempt missed. Paris Maghoma (Bolton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by Randell Williams.
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Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Nathan Smith.
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Hand ball by Jensen Weir (Port Vale).
Substitution
Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Aaron Morley replaces Josh Sheehan.
Substitution
Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Cameron Jerome replaces Aaron Collins.
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Attempt saved. Jensen Weir (Port Vale) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Foul by Daniel Nlundulu (Bolton Wanderers).
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Jesse Debrah (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Attempt missed. Kyle Dempsey (Bolton Wanderers) left footed shot from outside the box misses to the left. Assisted by Daniel Nlundulu.
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Offside, Port Vale. Ryan Loft is caught offside.
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Attempt saved. Nathan Smith (Port Vale) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom left corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Bolton Wanderers. Daniel Nlundulu replaces Dion Charles.
Booking
Eoin Toal (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Post update
Foul by Eoin Toal (Bolton Wanderers).
Comments
Join the conversation
Go down, rebuild, and come back up. You're certainly a club that deserves at least League One football
Sorry to see Port Vale go down. Hope their fans see something better next season.
That said I'd be buzzing if Wanderers manage to Win the Playoffs at Wembley, taking one Step closer to a miraculous Recovery from near Bankruptcy
Whether it be this Season UP ^ or next BWFC are on right track to return to promised land >> soon. Another great NW Club🏐👏
Proud manC
3 wins in 24 with Huddersfield, utterly appalling. Now the fans of Port Vale are suffering too.