Dempsey stunner gives Brady’s Port Vale hope of a ‘turning point’
Sunday 11 October 2026 · By Matthew Lusted
Port Vale went three weeks without a League Two game. When they returned on Saturday, they produced one of their best performances of the season. Kyle Dempsey’s spectacular strike on the stroke of half-time gave Jon Brady’s side a 1–0 win over Grimsby Town at Vale Park. It was only their second league win of the campaign, and their home league record is still unbeaten.
Vale should have been ahead long before Dempsey scored. Onel Hernandez’s shot was tipped onto the post by Christy Pym in the third minute, and Maldini Kacurri made a goal-line clearance to deny George Hall after Pym had saved from Max Watters. Watters also had two more good chances.
The goal was worth the wait. Jaheim Headley pulled the ball back from the left and Dempsey curled a 25-yard shot into the top corner. It was his first goal for the club.
Grimsby came on strong after the break. Marko Marosi tipped Charles Vernam’s shot onto the bar, and the Mariners pinned Vale back in the last ten minutes. Vale had chances on the counter, but Ben Garrity and substitute Ben Waine both had goals ruled out for offside.
Brady was delighted. “I am very pleased with the boys today and feel in the first half we should have put them to bed,” he said. “Their defending was incredible. From the defender’s header off the line when he’s lying down and loads of other chances. Our goal is a great finish from Kyle Dempsey; what a strike!” He also praised his goalkeeper: “We left the door open a little bit but Marko Marosi came to the rescue.”
He was open about the pressure. “It would be nice to get one or two more wins like this so we can breathe a little bit,” he said. “We haven’t given the supporters enough over the previous seven games. We believe that can be a turning point for us and it’s a really strong side we’ve played. I’m glad we’ve sent them away happy.”
The win lifts Vale to 22nd on eight points, level with Oldham above them, and they have played only eight games. Their home game with Northampton, postponed in September, will now be played on Tuesday 24 November (19:45), according to the Northampton Chronicle. Colchester have confirmed that Vale’s visit, postponed on 3 October, is now on Tuesday 15 December (19:45). Vale also beat Mansfield 2–0 in the EFL Trophy in midweek. Micky Moore was appointed sporting director last week.
Brady needs to keep this momentum going. Chesterfield visit Vale Park on Saturday 17 October, and Vale then travel to Gillingham on Tuesday 20 October (20:00) and York on 24 October. Rochdale visit on 31 October (12:30).
If Brady is right, this could be the start of Vale’s climb up the table.
Vale Park sits on Hamil Road in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent (ST6 1AW). Opened in 1950 and once billed as the “Wembley of the North”, it is now an all-seater ground of around 16,800, high on the Potteries skyline. Visiting supporters are housed in the Bycars Stand, the covered single-tier end behind the northern goal. That allocation has been in place since 2023/24. The Hamil Road Stand at the opposite end is home only: family blocks, general seating and the singing section.
Away parking is not on the Hamil Road car parks. Use Dimensions Leisure Centre (ST6 4ET), a short walk from the Bycars turnstiles, and pre-book at portvaleparking.co.uk when you can. Coaches should follow club or police instructions on the day. Turnstiles 25–32 serve the away end; opening times are usually 60–90 minutes before kick-off, sometimes earlier for bigger crowds. Bags should be no larger than A4. The stadium is cashless.
Inside Bycars you will find kiosks for hot food, snacks and alcohol, plus toilets. Flags without poles are generally allowed if they do not block sponsor boards. Views are decent from most of the stand, but four roof pillars can catch you if you sit well back and off-centre, so a more central seat is worth seeking. There is no standing. Wheelchair and some accessible places sit in the mixed Accessibility Stand in the Lorne Street–Bycars corner rather than in the main away block; book those in advance through your club.
Around the rest of the bowl, Lorne Street is the main west stand: tunnel, dressing rooms, boxes and the television-camera side. Opposite it, the Railway Stand and its lower Paddock run the east touchline. A narrow track separates stands from pitch all the way round. Home hospitality and the University of Staffordshire FanZone behind Hamil Road are not for away fans, and Tommy Cheadle’s on Car Park C is home only. The White Horse on Brownhills Road, Tunstall (ST6 4JU) is the usual pre-match recommendation for travelling supporters.
Give yourself time on arrival. Burslem’s streets are tight, and the walk from Dimensions or the nearest buses is straightforward once you pick up signage for Gate K and the Bycars turnstiles. Stewards can point you to Gate L if you need to avoid steps. Check Port Vale’s site and your own club’s away notes before you travel, because kick-off, ticket prices and exact opening times change fixture to fixture. Once you are in, the Bycars End is compact enough for a proper away noise if the following is up for it — and the Valiants’ home support at the Hamil end will be trying to drown you out from the other goal.