Port Vale 2-0 Colchester Port Vale keep up play-off charge

Port Vale remain three points adrift of the play-off positions after an ultimately comfortable 2-0 home victory over bottom of the table Colchester United.

Vale took the lead in the ninth minute when Theo Robinson capitalised on some poor defending to fire his first goal for the club.

Tom Eastman should have dealt with Ryan Inniss' punt forward, but Robinson collected the ball on the left side of the penalty area and guided a right-foot cross-shot low inside Elliot Parish's left-hand post from 12 yards.

The Colchester 'keeper should also have done better as he allowed the ball to slip through his grasp.

Anthony Grant almost added a second for Vale as the visitors failed to pose a threat during the first-half despite playing some decent possession football.

Parish at least partly atoned for his earlier gaffe when he produced terrific reflexes to push Sam Foley's fierce shot against a post four minutes after the break.

And the visitors finally had a shot on target when Chris Neal comfortably held substitute Nathan Oduwa's shot in the 56th minute.

But the nerves of the home crowd were settled in the 73rd minute when Vale substitute Byron Moore crossed from the right and Foley's eight-yard header was tipped against the underside of the crossbar by Parish before the ball bounced into the net.