Wanderers head into a fortnight’s break from league action in the rudest of health after another Amario Duberry-Cozier master-class helped lift the Whites to go third in the table, _writes Pete Oliver_.
This is far from a one-man Wanderers’ team and there were classy performances all over the pitch as Steven Schumacher’s men made it three successive league wins – aided by four goals from Cozier-Duberry – and eight in a row at home in all competitions.
But the on-loan Brighton man was again the catalyst with the all-important first goal and then the killer third which came early in the second half and either side of assists for Xavier Simons’ first Wanderers’ goal and a popular first goal in over a year for Kyle Dempsey.
The up-shot was a biggest win of the campaign for the Whites, who are gathering momentum by the week as they head into an international break via a Vertu Trophy tie at Oldham next Tuesday night in the top six for the first time this season.
Vale arrived sitting in the bottom four but with better away form than that at home and with one of the division’s more miserly defensive records on the road. And despite a tally of just one win in 23 attempts against Wanderers, it was the Valiants who made the better start.
Recent arrival Marvin Johnson was a threat down the left flank with his deliveries into the box and big defender Connor Hall a willing target for balls that came into the box.
George Johnston had to make one crucial early block and Teddy Sharman-Lowe two fine saves to keep out headers from the one, the second the best of them low down to his right.
Wanderers were not finding it easy to impose themselves but also had their moments out wide and from one of them they took the lead with half an hour gone. And inevitably it was Cozier-Duberry who provided the spark with his sixth goal of the season.
Ibby Cissoko had earned a start on the back of a first goal for the club in last week’s FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town – Joel Randall and Cyrus Christie also retaining their places from the last league win – and from his cross Mason Burstow laid the ball off for Cozier-Duberry.
In his current mood the little winger was never going to miss and sure he enough he drilled the ball under Vale keeper Joe Gauci. And having changed the feel inside the Toughsheet Community Stadium, Wanderers then quickly doubled their lead.
This time, Cozier-Duberry was the provider, nodding a corner from Christie back towards Simons, who still had plenty to do to unleash a fine strike on the turn which fizzed through a mass of bodies and into the far corner of the net to get off the mark.
Suddenly it was all Wanderers and with Vale clinging to the ropes they twice needed Gauci to make saves to stop his side being three adrift at the break.
First, he denied Cozier-Duberry after the man of the moment burst into the Vale box and shot goalwards and then turned away a Josh Sheehan piledriver as Schuamcher’s men looked to tighten the screw further.
One more goal looked set to guarantee it for Wanderers and while one at the other end might have kept it interesting it was the Whites who again almost struck first in the second half.
It was a decent move which ended with Randall switching the ball wide to Cozier-Duberry who cut inside past Johnson and forced Guaci to make another smart stop low to his right from a well-struck shot heading for the far corner.
That restored the initiative for Wanderers and Schumacher then went for the kill with the introduction of fresh legs for the last half-hour as Aaron Morley, Jordi Osei-Tutu and Dempsey – for the first time in the league since April – were sent on to finish the job.
The crowd was enjoying it and almost got a third goal to cheer when Christie joined the attack and sent an effort straight at Gauci. They didn’t have to wait much longer to celebrate again, though, as Cozier-Duberry delivered once more to bank the points.
Vale made a mess of things in their own half and after Mason Burstow pinched the ball and fed Cozier-Duberry there was only ever going to be one outcome – a touch, a run and an explosive finish into the roof of the net. Game over. Or not quite.
Cozier-Duberry was having another field day and to add to his two goals he then doubled his assist tally for the afternoon when he opened up the Vale defence for the umpteenth time and pulled the ball back for Dempsey to bury a cherished first goal in 13 months.
There was to be no more from Cozier-Duberry and the hat-trick can wait after Schumacher gave him the final few minutes off. But there’s no doubt the Whites have a new hero, who was clapped off by fans and team-mates alike on another stellar afternoon from the 20-year-old boy wonder who joined Burstow as the Whites’ leading scorer.
Wanderers: Sharman-Lowe; Christie, Toal, Johnston, Conway; Simons (Morley 61), Sheehan; Cozier-Duberry (Forss 80), Randall (Dempsey 61), Cissoko (Osei-Tutu 61); Burstow (Dalby 75). Substitutes: Miller, Forino.
Booked: Cissoko
Port Vale: Gauci; Humphreys, Debrah, C Hall; John (Paton 65), Walters (Croasdale 65), Byers (Curtis HT), Johnson; Garrity, Headley (G Hall HT); Cole. Substitutes: Amos, Heneghan, Stockley.
Booked: Humphreys, Paton
Referee: Martin Coy
Attendance: 21,658 (1,611)