Port Vale 0-5 Walsall

Anthony Forde's stunning strike from 35 yards put Walsall 3-0 up by the break at Vale Park

Walsall's biggest win for more than five years at Port Vale proved not quite enough for automatic promotion as they finished third in League One.

Burton Albion's 0-0 draw at Doncaster ensured that they claimed second place and promotion to the Championship, ending a point clear of the Saddlers.

Walsall will meet Barnsley over two legs in their play-off semi-final.

Anthony Forde scored a goal in each half in the Potteries as Port Vale were swept aside.

Paul Downing, Tom Bradshaw and second-half substitute Sam Mantom, with a 30-yarder just seven minutes after coming on, also netted as Walsall recorded their biggest win since beating Crawley Town in April 2015.

The play-off semi-final first leg will be at Oakwell next Saturday (14 May, 17:30 BST) before the return at the Banks's Stadium (Thursday, 19 May, 19:45 BST).

Walsall's first-half goal burst in Burslem

Vale actually looked the more lively side in the opening exchanges, Walsall goalkeeper Neil Etheridge twice brilliantly coming to his side's rescue.

He saved from AJ Leitch-Smith, touching the 12-goal Vale top scorer's angled shot onto his right post, before parrying a ferocious effort from Sam Foley.

But Walsall had their shooting boots on too, triggered by Jason Demetriou's 35-yard piledriver against the crossbar.

Having failed to clear their lines from that effort, Vale then immediately conceded when Jak Alnwick could only parry another long-range effort from James O'Connor and Downing headed home. And it was 2-0 just three minutes later when Milan Lalkovic's shot was only half-saved by Alnwick and this time Walsall's 20-goal top scorer Bradshaw nodded in.

There was a third first-half goal to come after 38 minutes when Forde thundered home a swerving 30-yard right-foot shot. But they were not done yet, Forde and Mantom both netting after the break to complete the Saddlers' third straight win and only Vale's fourth home league defeat of the campaign.

Vale finished 12th, a rise of six places from last season, despite going down to their biggest defeat since a 5-0 loss at Bristol City in March 2014.

Vale's record home defeat remains the 10-0 Division Two loss to Sheffield United way back in December 1892, which is also the worst home defeat in Football League history.

Walsall interim boss Jon Whitney told BBC WM:

"I'm immensely proud of the players, the staff and the fans. The atmosphere was as good as I've known in my time in the club.

"I said to the players we can only control what we can control. We did our jobs and it wasn't meant to be. But now we have to keep believing.

"We're very upbeat. If you're going to be in the play-offs, the way it's worked out could not be better, in how we've built momentum over the last three games.

"We've won that final now and qualified for an even bigger tournament now. We've got the chance top go back to Wembley and lay a few ghosts."

• Line-ups
• Match Stats
• Live Text

Line-ups

Port Vale

• 21Alnwick
• 4StreeteSubstituted forYatesat 56'minutes
• 6DuffyBooked at 45mins
• 5McGivernSubstituted forKellyat 45'minutes
• 2Purkiss
• 8O'ConnorSubstituted forMooreat 70'minutes
• 11FoleyBooked at 60mins
• 17Brown
• 3Dickinson
• 15Hooper
• 20Leitch-Smith

Substitutes

• 7Birchall
• 16Yates
• 18Kelly
• 19Moore
• 23Boot
• 25Robinson
• 30Turner

Walsall

• 1Etheridge
• 2Demetriou
• 4O'Connor
• 6Downing
• 14Henry
• 7Chambers
• 15LalkovicSubstituted forCookat 85'minutes
• 18MorrisSubstituted forMantomat 64'minutes
• 10Sawyers
• 12Forde
• 9BradshawSubstituted forHiwula-Mayifuilaat 76'minutesBooked at 84mins

Substitutes

• 3Taylor
• 8Mantom
• 13MacGillivray
• 16Preston
• 21Cook
• 26Osbourne
• 31Hiwula-Mayifuila

Referee:

Nigel Miller

Attendance:

8,595

Match Stats

Home TeamPort ValeAway TeamWalsall

Possession

Home41%

Away59%

Shots

Home6

Away16

Shots on Target

Home5

Away11

Corners

Home5

Away7

Fouls

Home7

Away5

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Port Vale 0, Walsall 5.

Full Time

Posted at 90'+5'

Second Half ends, Port Vale 0, Walsall 5.

Posted at 90'+2'

Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Jak Alnwick.

Posted at 90'+2'

Attempt saved. Anthony Forde (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.

Posted at 90'+1'

Anthony Forde (Walsall) wins a free kick on the left wing.

Posted at 90'+1'

Foul by A-Jay Leitch-Smith (Port Vale).

Posted at 89'

Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Richard Duffy.

Substitution

Posted at 85'

Substitution, Walsall. Jordan Cook replaces Milan Lalkovic.

Booking

Posted at 84'

Jordy Hiwula-Mayifuila (Walsall) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 84'

Foul by Jordy Hiwula-Mayifuila (Walsall).

Posted at 84'

Richard Duffy (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Substitution

Posted at 76'

Substitution, Walsall. Jordy Hiwula-Mayifuila replaces Tom Bradshaw.

Posted at 76'

Attempt missed. Tom Bradshaw (Walsall) right footed shot from the centre of the box is too high.

Posted at 74'

Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by James O'Connor.

Posted at 74'

Attempt blocked. Sam Kelly (Port Vale) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

Posted at 73'

Byron Moore (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 73'

Foul by Rico Henry (Walsall).

Goal!

Posted at 71'

Goal! Port Vale 0, Walsall 5. Sam Mantom (Walsall) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner.

Substitution

Posted at 70'

Substitution, Port Vale. Byron Moore replaces Michael O'Connor.

Goal!

Posted at 67'

Goal! Port Vale 0, Walsall 4. Anthony Forde (Walsall) right footed shot from the right side of the box to the bottom right corner.

Posted at 65'

Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by Neil Etheridge.

Posted at 65'

Attempt saved. JJ Hooper (Port Vale) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the top left corner.

Posted at 64'

Sam Foley (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 64'

Foul by Romaine Sawyers (Walsall).

Substitution

Posted at 64'

Substitution, Walsall. Sam Mantom replaces Kieron Morris.

Posted at 62'

Attempt saved. Rico Henry (Walsall) left footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Booking

Posted at 60'

Sam Foley (Port Vale) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at 60'

(Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 60'

Foul by Sam Foley (Port Vale).

Posted at 57'

Attempt saved. Michael Brown (Port Vale) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.

Substitution

Posted at 56'

Substitution, Port Vale. Adam Yates replaces Remie Streete because of an injury.

Posted at 56'

Foul by Milan Lalkovic (Walsall).

Posted at 56'

Carl Dickinson (Port Vale) wins a free kick on the right wing.

Posted at 56'

Delay over. They are ready to continue.

Posted at 55'

Delay in match Remie Streete (Port Vale) because of an injury.

Posted at 53'

Corner, Walsall. Conceded by Ben Purkiss.

Posted at 52'

Jason Demetriou (Walsall) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at 52'

Foul by Michael O'Connor (Port Vale).

Second Half

Posted at

Second Half begins Port Vale 0, Walsall 3.

Substitution

Posted at 45'

Substitution, Port Vale. Sam Kelly replaces Ryan McGivern.

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