Match ends, Port Vale 0, Swindon Town 1.
Port ValePort Vale0SwindonSwindon Town1
Swindon kept up their promotion hopes as they clung on to beat Port Vale.
Robins full-back Raphael Rossi Branco got the only goal with a six-yard header from Harry Toffolo's corner.
Massimo Luongo almost made it 2-0 when Chris Neal tipped his strike onto the bar, while Ben Williamson and Tom Pope missed chances to equalise for Vale.
Michael O'Connor's free-kick hit the bar and Louis Dodds went close, but Swindon held out to retain third place in the League One table.
They are two points behind second-placed Swindon, while Vale have slipped five points adrift of the play-off places, dropping back to 12th.
Port Vale manager Rob Page told BBC Radio Stoke:
"In the second half, we created 14 chances against a very good team, so we've got to take the positives out of that and take it into Tuesday night's game against Crawley.
"But we are bitterly disappointed with the way we conceded the goal. It's a set piece, there was a bit of a misunderstanding between the man in the hole and somebody has shouted something else.
"They've let it run and and it's hit somebody else who has hit somebody's head and gone in. It's just the worst goal to concede.
Swindon Town manager Mark Cooper told BBC Wiltshire:
"I need a couple of stiff drinks after that. We started really well, and could have put the game beyond them.
"We were a little bit sloppy on the final pass or in front of goal. But I felt we defended really well and had to.
"The three boys at the back and goalkeeper defended really well. We've kept another clean sheet."
Line-ups
Port Vale
Formation 4-4-2
- 1Neal
- 21VeseliBooked at 88mins
- 4Robertson
- 5McGivern
- 3Dickinson
- 20Marshall
- 17BrownBooked at 50mins
- 15O'Connor
- 19MooreSubstituted forDanielat 63'minutes
- 11PopeSubstituted forDoddsat 62'minutes
- 9Williamson
Substitutes
- 2Yates
- 6Duffy
- 7Birchall
- 8Dodds
- 12Johnson
- 14Daniel
- 22Lloyd
Swindon
Formation 3-5-1-1
- 1Foderingham
- 29Rossi BrancoBooked at 89mins
- 2Thompson
- 6Turnbull
- 3ByrneBooked at 60mins
- 7GladwinBooked at 84mins
- 4LuongoSubstituted forSmithat 79'minutes
- 5Stephens
- 15Toffolo
- 14SwiftSubstituted forKasimat 56'minutesBooked at 86mins
- 10WilliamsSubstituted forObikaat 69'minutes
Substitutes
- 8Kasim
- 9Smith
- 20Obika
- 23Barthram
- 24Hylton
- 26Rodgers
- 35Johns
- Referee:
- Andy Madley
- Attendance:
- 5,120
Match Stats
Home TeamPort ValeAway TeamSwindon
- Possession
- Home45%
- Away55%
- Shots
- Home9
- Away10
- Shots on Target
- Home4
- Away4
- Corners
- Home7
- Away8
- Fouls
- Home8
- Away9
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Port Vale 0, Swindon Town 1.
Post update
Attempt missed. Louis Dodds (Port Vale) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.
Post update
Michael Smith (Swindon Town) hits the bar with a right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box.
Post update
Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Frederic Veseli.
Post update
Foul by Colin Daniel (Port Vale).
Post update
Harry Toffolo (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Frederic Veseli (Port Vale).
Post update
Jack Stephens (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Attempt saved. Nathan Byrne (Swindon Town) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Booking
Raphael Rossi Branco (Swindon Town) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Ben Williamson (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by Raphael Rossi Branco (Swindon Town).
Booking
Frederic Veseli (Port Vale) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Foul by Frederic Veseli (Port Vale).
Post update
Harry Toffolo (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Yaser Kasim (Swindon Town) is shown the yellow card.
Post update
Frederic Veseli (Port Vale) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Yaser Kasim (Swindon Town).
Booking
Ben Gladwin (Swindon Town) is shown the yellow card.
