MATCH REPORT: Swindon Town 2-1 Port Vale

Harry McKirdy’s brace made it advantage Swindon with his first half header as Town beat Port Vale 2-1 in their League Two Play-off semi-final first-leg. Total Sport Swindon’s Joe Acklam gives his match report from the County Ground.

McKirdy opened the scoring with a flicked header from a corner and then added a second in the second period on the rebound.

However, James Wilson scored eight minutes from time to give Port Vale hope in the second leg.

Town head to Vale Park on Thursday with a one-goal lead to protect in order to set up a day at Wembley.

Ben Garner opted to field an unchanged line-up from the team who cruised past Walsall 3-0 on the final day of the regular season, with Ward retaining his place in goal ahead of the fully fit Jojo Wollacott.

Port Vale were intent on asserting themselves on Swindon physically in the early stages, with a series of strong challenges going in, one tackle by Harry Charsley on Jonny Williams drew a strong reaction from the home crowd.

The niggling nature of the game meant that pieces of action were few and far between early on, with Swindon’s first move of note coming after 20 minutes, with the point of attacking flipping back and forth before Jack Payne found space and had a shot blocked for a corner.

By the 26th minute Swindon had started to find some rhythm and then they struck through the most unlikely of methods as Williams drilled in a corner to the near post where McKirdy lost his marker and diverted the ball in at the far post.

Right before half-time Swindon continued to knock on the door as Josh Davison teed up Williams from a good 35 yards, and he forced Aidan Stone to tip it over, and from the resulting corner McKirdy lashed a rebound just wide of the upright.

Swindon nearly added a second in the 65th minute when Louie Barry took the ball down with a touch soft as velvet before slipping Ellis Iandolo down the side, who squared it across the face of goal but just out of reach for McKirdy.

Vale fired back as the Swindon defenders forgot how to tackle, allowing the Valiants to work the ball across the field before laying it back to Jamie Proctor, whose shot was straight at Ward.

Out of nowhere the match became basketball as Town went back up the other end and Payne’s shot from the right was saved but only palmed out to McKirdy who fired home his second.

Seconds later Davison should have added a third when sloppy play from Port Vale let the Charlton loanee run through on goal but he was ushered to one side and lifted the ball over the top.

With eight minutes to play Vale pulled one back when Swindon failed to clear and an unmarked James Wilson tapped in at the back post.

In stoppage time Proctor curled an effort wide of the target and then Ward made a smart stop at his near post from a header.