Kidsgrove Athletic were narrowly beaten 2-1 by Port Vale as football returned to the Autonet Insurance Stadium for the first time ahead of the 2019/20 season.

Goals either side of the interval from Mark Cullen and Richie Bennett had given the Vale a 2-0 lead. Only for Lee Williamson to pull one back for the Grove.

Continuing the now traditional Pre-Season match, a healthy crowd of 1,689 turned out to enjoy a game, that was certainly competitive, but, most importantly played in the right way.

Manager Ryan Austin handed a first start to Kingsley Adu Gyamfi who impressed many, while the majority of last seasons squad played, with most getting 90 minutes under their belts.

The Vale took the lead midway through the first half when after some good play by Manny Oyeleke the ball was played to Cullen who headed home.

A new team was put out for the Vale at the interval with the likes of Tom Pope, Scott Burgess, Nathan Smith and Ben Whitfield all coming on.

Richie Bennett was also brought on at half-time and, he scored the second goal of the match on 66 minutes when David Worrell saw his free-kick headed back across the goal by Pope to Bennett who nodded home.

Kidsgrove did half the deficit with eight minutes to go when Williamson hit a sweet strike from 20-yards out into the bottom corner of the goal leaving the trialist goalkeeper with no chance of saving it.

We would like to thank Port Vale for sending down their entire first-team down to Kidsgrove and, we would like to wish them all the best for the new season.

Our pre-season continues next Saturday as we visit Hanley Town, kick-off is at 3 pm.

Kidsgrove Athletic: Harrison, Twyford, Morris, Blake (Beaumont), Jepson (O'Neill), Butler, Diskin, Williamson, Gyamfi (Savage), Malbon (Bergin) and Jerome Clarke. (Jordan Clarke)
Unused sub: Austin

Port Vale 1st half team: Brown, Trialist, Crookes, Legge, Kennedy, Trialist, Lloyd, Trailist, Conlon, Oyeleke and Cullen.
Port Vale 2nd half team: Trialist, Gibbons, Montano (Campbell-Gordon), Rawlinson, Smith, Worrell, Burgess, Joyce, Whitfield, Bennett and Pope.
Unused subs: Birks, Green-Birch and Trickett-Smith.