Port Vale showed their promotion credentials by kicking off their campaign with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Bury. The Valiants, looking to build on last season's 10th-placed finish, claimed a deserved victory through a rare goal by left-back Lee Collins in the 66th minute. Bury have undergone a summer overhaul after missing out on the play-offs last term and fielded six debutants, while summer signings Stuart Tomlinson, Gary Roberts and Justin Richards started for Vale. New Bury winger Andy Haworth scuffed an early shot before whipping in a fine cross for Andy Bishop, whose header struck Adam Yates before Gareth Owen cleared. A superb Richards then laid off for Sean Rigg, who released Roberts to fire over from a wide angle, before Bishop forced a fine low save from Tomlinson. A lively first half continued with Rigg and Anthony Griffith going close with long-range strikes, and Vale started the second half strongly, with Yates having a cross deflected against the crossbar. Doug Loft then turned a Rigg cross agonisingly wide and Vale broke the deadlock as Richards knocked down a Roberts corner for Collins to lash home from 10 yards. Richards then headed wide from a Yates cross and the closest Bury came to an equaliser was when Ryan Lowe headed wide from Bishop's cross.
Source: PA
Source: PA