Ethan Pye puts his leg out and trips up Devante Cole just outside the box.

The Port Vale striker manages to keep his balance long enough not to take the fall until he's inside the box in hope of a penalty shout but he's within eyeshot of the referee and doesn't get the call he's looking for.

He doesn't get the free-kick either though. Puzzling one.

Port Vale's Ronan Curtis is introduced in place of Kyle John.

Quite the task he's got ahead of him.

Stockport Callum Camps gets on the end of a clearance from a Vale player and tries to lift it into goal.

It's a difficult one though and sends it flying above the bar.

County looking way too threatening for the home stands' liking.

Image source, PA Media

Port Vale honorary president John Rudge is watching on from the crowd.

He's much loved around Vale Park but he doesn't look like he's loving this performance.

Vale stopper Joe Gauci is living life on the edge.

He launches off his line to get to a ball on the right flank outside the box. Should he have lost out to a Stockport player, it would spell absolute disaster.

He does win the race, though, and boots it long.

Nathan Lowe is being withdrawn for Stockport to a choir of boos.

They haven't forgiven him for his misdeeds against Marvin Johnson that saw the midfielder needing treatment in the first-half.

His day is done but it really probably should have been over much before now.

Beno Andresson returns from injury to take his place while Callum Camps is on for Jack Diamond.

Now Stockport have a corner, which is taken short and given to Ollie Norwood to curl into the box.

Ethan Pye gets it on his head and it's tantalisingly close but just misses the mark.

There's another goal in this, that's for sure.

Port Vale have another corner but it's sent straight towards a Stockport player before it can even get close to a white shirt.

This is a set piece Stockport usually struggle to defend but the Vale seem to be worse at delivering them tonight.

Calvin Andrew
Ex-Port Vale forward on BBC Radio Manchester

Jayden Stockley is very astute with his back to goal.

Port Vale don't look comfortable in possession at all. When one of their players has the ball, there aren't many options - whereas when Stockport have it, there are three or four players moving or making runs.

Image source, Shutterstock

This first change of today's proceedings sees Port Vale's George Byers replaced by Jayden Stockley.

This has got the crowd up.

Devante Cole is stood centrally on goal and is found by his teammate. He lets loose but the Stockport defence is firm and blocks it at point-blank range before his team-mate sees the same fate.

Calvin Andrew
Ex-Port Vale forward on BBC Radio Manchester

Stockport set their stall out perfectly at the start of the second half.

That's the start Dave Challinor would have wanted to see - putting Port Vale on the back foot and not allowing them to get any momentum going.

Great attacking play and intent.

Stockport just won't let the home side have a minute to settle.

Much like when they pounced after a break in play to deal with an issue in the crowd, they are fast at it post the whistle.

Nathan Lowe thunders at net and slight touch from the keeper sees it rattle the crossbar.

The danger isn't over though as they then get themselves a corner, which Tyler Onyango connects with well but the Vale defender stands firm to nod it out of the box.

Blistering from the visitors.

We are back underway.

What can the Vale do here?

Jonty Shaw: Poor defending from Marvin Johnson and Cameron Humphries for the first goal. Johnson has to try to cut the cross out but once it comes in, Humphries has to be sharper.

Calvin Andrew
Ex-Port Vale forward on BBC Radio Manchester

Ryan Croasdale's early chance for Port Vale seemed to be a wake-up call for Stockport.

They stopped trying to play out from the back with total football and instead played over the press. I liked the way they worked things out early in the game.

Jack Diamond and Nathan Lowe playing in those number eight or number 10 positions give them dynamism. They're playing a bit deeper, so the defenders don't know whether to go out and meet them or leave them for midfielders to mark.

Neither is happening at the moment. It became 3-0 very quickly. Port Vale haven't had an answer so far, but they still pose a threat through long balls and set-pieces.

It should be a very interesting second half.

Image source, Shutterstock

Stockport run riot at Vale Park to go into the tunnel three goals up on their hosts.

Nathan Lowe, Kyle Wootton and Jack Diamond all found the net to silence the home crowd, while Port Vale struggled to get into the game after a promising start.

Though the hosts have had moments to make a dent. One a superb free-kick from Ruari Paton that hit the woodwork, the other two misses Ryan Croasdale will want to forget quickly.

But perhaps the Valiants' biggest grievance will be that their opponents still have 11 men on the pitch after Nathan Lowe's aggressive elbow on Marvin Johnson draws the colour red from the midfielder's nose, but just a yellow for the card.

Ryan Croasdale is not at the races today.

Marvin Johnson whips the ball into Croasdale, who is sprinting to meet it and his timing seems perfect but his finish... not so.

That's the second chance the Port Vale man has let go to waste against his former side.

No doubt he'll be frustrated putting up such a poor showing. In front of his current crowd and his old.

Josh Watton
BBC Radio Manchester commentator

That would have been one of the goals of the season.

I'm not sure anyone inside Vale Park was expecting a shot there. I certainly wasn't and I don't think Ben Hinchliffe was, either.

It hit the crossbar, much to Hinchliffe's relief. That's the closest Vale have come and the home side are pressing for a lifeline.

Calvin Andrew
Ex-Port Vale forward on BBC Radio Manchester

Port Vale are just not tight enough. It's quite remarkable to see: every time a Stockport player gets the ball, Port Vale players are three or four yards away.

That's giving Stockport time to look up and pick their passes. Once Darren Moore gets in to his players, you'd expect that to improve.

It's good to see that Stockport are still hungry to score goals. Nathan Lowe, in particular, always wants to be on the scoresheet. You can see the urgency he's playing with.