Port Vale 2 Colchester United 0

A brace from Port Vale skipper, Doug Loft, inflicted a defeat on Colchester United at a snowy Vale Park tonight.

The U’s were playing their first game for 24 days, following four successive postponements, so there was always a danger that they would be rusty.

And so it proved. Loft broke the deadlock in the 15th minute, by neatly firing home from Daniel Jones’ pinpoint low cross.

And Loft was on target again in the 52nd minute, latching onto Carl Dickinson’s exquisite lob over the U’s defence to beat Sam Walker with a clinical shot.

The U’s improved in the second half, and substitute Freddie Sears peppered the target, but Joe Dunne’s men could find no way back into this game.

Squads

Port Vale: Neal, Yates, Dickinson, Grimmer, Jones, Davis, Griffith (sub Knott, 87), Hugill (sub Williamson, 77), Lines, Loft, Pope (sub Dodds, 90+1). Unsued subs: Johnson, Myrie-Williams, Tomlin, Birchall.

COLCHESTER: Walker, Wilson, Okuonghae, Eastman, Dickson, Wright (sub Sears, 64), Bean, Eastmond, Vose (sub Massey, 77), Morrison (sub Ibehre, 64), Watt. Unused subs: Cousins, Gilbey, Olufemi, Sesay.

Referee: Andy Haines (Tyne & Wear)

Attendance: 3,7,34