Vale denied in Carlisle thriller

A look at Port Vale on and off the pitch after the 3-2 defeat at Carlisle

Carlisle players celebrate as Lorent Tolaj’s stoppage-time penalty is saved. Pic by Owen Humphreys/PA

Hello and welcome to a special Saturday edition of The Valiant for April 19.

Vale stay top of the table with three games to play but their hopes of closing in on automatic promotion were frustrated in a thriller at Carlisle.

Having gone 3-0 down after 49 minutes, Darren Moore’s side fought their way back into the game through Jayden Stockley and Sam Hart and had the chance to level when Stockley was fouled in the area in stoppage time.

But Gabe Breeze saved Lorent Tolaj’s spot kick to earn the hosts a 3-2 victory and end Vale’s four-game winning run.

Georgie Kelly had fired Carlisle into a 36^th-minute lead with an angled drive and Matty Dennis made it 2-0 on 43 minutes when he scored from the rebound after Sean Fusire hit the post.

Aaron Hayden headed home four minutes into the second half but Stockley began the comeback on 61 minutes when he headed home Ben Garrity’s cross. Hart netted from close range on 70 minutes to set up a thrilling finish but Breeze’s excellent penalty stop kept Vale at bay.

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