A late double from Darren Beckford gave Port Vale a convincing win over flat Fulham at Vale Park.
The Valiants went in front three minutes before half-time when Paul Atkinson converted a spot-kick awarded after he had been bundled over by Gary Barnett. Atkinson dusted himself down before drilling the penalty past Jim Stannard to give Vale a slender lead at the interval.
On-loan Everton goalkeeper Mick Stowell kept the home side in front with good saves from Clive Walker, Rob Wilson and Colin Gordon before Beckford killed the game off in the final twenty minutes. The young striker turned home a cross from Simon Mills after excellent work by Alan Webb in the build-up to make in 2-0 and added a third after a goalmouth scramble to take his tally to ten for the season.
It could have been even worse for Ray Lewington’s side but Beckford was denied the chance of a hat-trick when substitute Steve Harper went for goal from an acute angle with two minutes left when the striker was crying out for a cutback.
PORT VALE: Stowell; Hazell, Sproson, Hughes, Webb, Mills, R. Walker, Atkinson (Harper 68), Earle, Riley, Beckford. Subs (not used): Finney.
GOALS: Atkinson (pen 42), Beckford (71, 85).
FULHAM: Stannard; Eckhardt, Gore, Marshall, Kerrins, Scott, Barnett (Skinner 69), Wilson, Walker, Gordon, Sayer. Subs (not used): Elkins.
REFEREE: Keith Burge (Tonypandy).
ATTENDANCE: 5,097.
