Port Vale 1 Colchester United 2 Colchester United boosted their chances of beating the drop into League Two, by recording a precious away win at out-of-sorts Port Vale this afternoon.

George Moncur and Jacob Murphy struck with second-half goals to inflict a fifth straight defeat on the Valiants, and so earn a vital three points in the U’s quest to escape the bottom four.

Moncur bagged his second goal in two games, following his effort at Gillingham in a 2-2 draw at Priestfield, with a calm finish in the 57th minute.

The chance looked to have gone, after Moncur and Chris Porter had linked up well in the box, without managing to get a shot away.

But Moncur’s perseverance paid off as the ex-West Ham midfielder eventually swept home a low drive, beyond the despairing dive of Sam Johnson, from 10 yards out.

It was his sixth goal of the season.

Vale rarely looked like finding a way back into this game, and Murphy duly doubled the lead in the 77th minute to wrap up the points for Tony Humes’ men.

Norwich City loanee Murphy showed his pace to beat his marker, Carl Dickinson, and then bury a low shot into the far corner of the net, beyond keeper Johnson.

Louis Dodds did pull a goal back for Vale, by blasting into the roof of the net on 84 minutes, but it was too little, too late, for the Potteries club.

Squads

PORT VALE: Johnson, Yates, Veseli, Collins (sub Robertson, 67), Dickinson, Birchall (sub Coulibaly, 58), O’Connor, Brown, Marshall, Dodds, Williamson (sub Pope, 58). Unused subs: Boot, McGivern, Daniel, Campion.

COLCHESTER: Walker, Brindley, Khumalo, Eastman, Wynter, Lapslie (sub Szmodics, 82), Moncur, Gilbey, Massey, Porter (sub Healey, 85), Murphy. Unused subs: Lewington, Osborne, Vincent-Young, Bonne, Sembie-Ferris.

Referee; Charles Breakspear (Surrey)

Attendance: 4,471 (173 away fans)