United rounded off their August fixtures with an away trip to Burslem to face Port Vale.

There were three changes from the team that started against Exeter City last Saturday with keeper Jokull Andresson in for his debut between the sticks.

Luke Plange was given the nod up front to partner Sean Maguire, and Alfie McCalmont slipped into midfield alongside Callum Guy and Owen Moxon.

Fulham loanee Terry Ablade took a place on the bench following his midweek arrival.

Vale brought the first threat of the day when Clark controlled a long ball forward on his chest. He had Chislett in support, and Plant was also there on the overlap. He checked back and shot from the edge of the area but he could only find the side netting.

There were loud appeals for a penalty on four minutes when Massey sent Clark into the area with a neat through ball. He cut it back for Chislett, and he went down heavily as Huntington challenged. Wilson blazed high as all eyes went to the referee, who remained uninterested.

Clark was lively and he showed a clean pair of heels again as he got to the byeline. A low, drilled cross evaded everybody, but Chislett was first to the loose ball. His snapshot was deflected behind.

The corner was nodded down by Smith and Wilson stepped back to take his volley. He was disappointed once again as he skewed it high into the stands.

Wilson sent a 14-yard header high as he was once again the target for Clark, after a patient home build up, and the white shirts stayed forward as they continued to search for an opening.

It was a bright start fromt he hosts that had to be weathered and an interception from Mellish inside his own half sparked a break as he strode on with the ball at his feet. Plange took it off him, before giving it back, and an arrowed cross had to be put behind. The corner eventually fell to Moxon, but a powerful drive flew past the target,

Carlisle came again after winning their midfield battles, with Plange in space. He dropped a shoulder and let fly from 20-yards but it travelled low and just wide.

The good football was coming from the away team all of a sudden and it was spread from left to right with Guy, Moxon and McCalmont heavily involved. Moxon tried to dink it into space but Ripley was quickly off his line.

A deep free kick from Moxon was perfect on 24 minutes and Plange muscled his way off his man to make room for the header. He was frustrated to see it dip over the bar.

Back was next to test the defence when he delivered from wide, and Ripley had to be content with palming it to safety.

Back at the other end and Vale had a run of corners as Clark and Arblaster tested both flanks. Huntington got in the way of the second of the inswingers from Chislett to guide it past his own upright.

A stunning pass from Guy found Armer getting beyond his man and he wasted no time at all in making the cross. That was blocked, and Moxon got two bites at the cherry of a corner. Huntington nodded the second high from the back post, and it was worked out to Guy, who connected with a thunderbolt from range. Ripley had to be at his best to dive long and beat it away.

Maguire was unceremoniously tripped as he reached the right hand angle of the 18-yard area, but Moxon's low set piece effort was stopped in its tracks. Armer teased with a wicked corner delivery moments later and Ripley did enough to tickle it over the bar. 

There was all kinds of chaos from the corner as Armer and Guy both had sighters, and the spell of pressure came to an end when Moxon acrobatically scissor-kicked wide.

The Valiants had a goal correctly chalked off as Arblaster sailed through a challenge before fizzing it hard and at the bottom corner. Andresson saved, and the flag went up as offside Chislett poked it over the line.

A free kick was given in a very dangerous place on 45 minutes after Plant went down when Lavelle stepped over to win the ball. Chislett's 19-yarder was blocked by the wall and Andresson was comfortable with Arblaster's follow up. 

There was a great chance for the Cumbrians at the start of the second period after Moxon had spread the play to Maguire. The striker bent his run, but opted to go for the pass as it looked on for a shot. A timely tackle meant the ball was cleared.

Disaster struck for the visitors when Mellish took a throw from close to his own corner flag. It was difficult for stopper Andresson, who tried to control it on his thigh, and he looked on in horror as Chislett nipped in  to steal it. The man in orange immediately dived in an attempt to retrieve and was devastated as the Vale man fell, and the referee pointed to the spot. James Wilson buried the penalty as he sent the keeper the wrong way.

Iacovitti plucked a delivery from Wilson out of the air with his back to the target with the home side clearly buoyed by the goal, and he had time to set himself as he spun to volley. It whisked just over the nets.

United rallied, with a good spell, but Plange and Back were both thwarted as they tried to create from wide. And Ripley had to settle for stinging hands when he eventually dealt with a swerving and swirling long-range punt from Moxon that was accurate and threatening.

An incisive move saw Plange get it to Guy with the Blues growing in confidence. It was quickly fed Armer and his cross on the run was met on the leap by Maguire, but he glanced it past the far post.

Substitute Ben Garrity had a goal chalked off for offside on 67 after a scramble in the box that had seen Andresson save well from the same player in the melee.

Carisle went for a triple substitution with Ablade, Edmondson and Gibson on for Maguire, McAlmont and Plange respectively.

Back provided an outlet with 20 minutes left to go and he earned a corner with a tester of a cross. Massey was there to clear as Armer centred.

It was Back who combined with Gibson in the next foray as they bounced it back and forwards. The cross begged to be put away but Armer lost his balance and he sliced it over as he tumbled just as he made the connection.

Moxon's corner was excellent, and Armer and Gibson kept things alive with their tenacity. Moxon headed wide as he tried to make the last of the crosses count.

Gibson wanted the ball and a peach of a clipped pass was another which needed the slightest of touches, but Ripley threw his feet at it and he managed to get in the way.

Andresson had to be alert on 88 minutes when Thomas bustled his way into the box. The glovesman was down at feet to claw the ball away and to prevent the lob.

Carlisle pretty much camped in the Vale final third through the closing stages but the final pass, cross or touch wasn't quite there and they left with nothing to show for their efforts.

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Goals

Port Vale - Wilson (50 pen)

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Teams

Port Vale - Ripley, Cass, Smith (c), Clark, Chislett (Garrity 61), Ojo, Iacovitti, Arblaster (Lowe 83), Massey (Devine 76), Plant (Sang 83), Wilson (Thomas 77). Subs - Leutwiler (gk), Shorrock.

Carlisle United - Andresson, Back, Lavelle, Huntington (c), Mellish (Charters 82), Armer, McCalmont (Edmondson 68), Guy (Butterworth 82), Moxon, Maguire (Ablade 68), Plange (Gibson 68). Subs - Holy (gk), Barclay.

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Match officials

Referee - Tom Reeves
Assistant Referee 1 - Stephen Wade
Assistant Referee 2 - Mark Jones
Fourth Official - Christopher Ward
Observer - Edward Tarry
Coach - Alan Wiley

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Attendance - 6,997 (705)