Report by John Patrick Heeley

A goal bang on half time from former Watford trainee Stephen Brooker was enough to settle this tie between two sides that have already settled for mid table mediocrity but Wigan will feel they should have had more out of the game after creating the better chances throughout the game.

Wigan's new signing Jason Jarrett was given his debut in a Wigan shirt after the midfielder completed a £75,000 move from Bury on Thursday but Nathan Ellington, the £1.2 million record signing was resigned to watching the game from the sidelines after the club somehow failed to register him in time and in fact took up a position in the Phones 4U Stand amongst the travelling Latics fans for the opening 45 minutes and was promptly mobbed as he took to his seat.

Wigan could certainly done with his services in attack as they failed to find a way past Vale's defence despite plenty of moves forward.

Paul Jewell's side were evidently lacking that vital ingredient, a goal poacher, and Ellington could just be that man so who knows what may have happened if the former Bristol Rovers striker had been eligible to pull on his new number 9 shirt at Vale Park instead of donning a tracksuit and being nothing more than an interested observer.

Jewell opted to give Neil Roberts a start in a bid to give Wigan more firepower up front but it just didn't seem to work with the best chance of the opening half falling to centre half Jason De Vos when his powerful header from 6 yards out was cleared off the line.

Lee McCulloch was the first to threaten the Vale goal but his header was easily dealt with by the home keeper Mark Goodlad.

Port Vale pressed forward and John Filan was forced off his line to punch clear a long throw from Michael Walsh but with the home side still on the attack Wigan were forced to put behind for a corner which Filan was in hand again to knock clear.

Paul Mitchell sent a shot blazing over the bar after Wigan had pushed forward down the right flank through the impressive Scott Green.

Then came Jason De Vos' effort when he blasted a header goalbound but found Michael Walsh on the line to hammer the ball clear.

Just before the half hour mark McCulloch sent in a hopeful shot on the turn from the edge of the area but Goodlad appeared to have it covered as it sailed just wide of the upright.

Port Vale's first real opportunity of the opening half came from the unlikeliest of sources.

Former Wigan player and current Port Vale skipper Matt Carragher sent in a ball across goal from the right and Wigan's Canadian centre half Jason De Vos stooped to head clear and was hugely relieved when it went narrowily wide of the far post.

With seconds ticking away in a largely non-eventful first half Port Vale hit Wigan on the break with Ian Armstrong laying the ball to STEPHEN BROOKER on the edge of the area.

The striker looked up and hit a fierce low drive which just sneaked in at Filan's right hand post with the Australian diving desperately to get a glove to it.

The second half was less of an event as far a action goes but Wigan did have a number of half chances but again were lacking that finishing touch in front of goal with McCulloch and Andy Liddell both going close but their efforts didn't give Goodlad much of a problem.

The introduction of Gary Teale just after the hour mark as replacement for Neil Roberts added a little more purpose into the Wigan side with the former Ayr United winger working well down the right flank.

However, in the end their efforts were all in vain as Vale hung on to secure all three points and do the double over Wigan, the third side this season to do so, and leap frog them in the table. However, at this stage of the campaign does it really matter.