St Johnston’s Ronan Curtis strikes late to secure Port Vale victory

St Johnston native Ronan Curtis emerged as the hero for Port Vale, netting an 85th-minute winner to secure a 1-0 victory over promotion rivals Notts County at Vale Park.

Curtis, who entered the fray as a substitute, expertly controlled Lorent Tolaj's looping cross before volleying home, ending County's six-match unbeaten streak.

Reflecting on his decisive goal, Curtis said: “It was a great ball in from Tully (Lorent Tolaj). I thought I’d take it down on my chest and hit it cause why not? Thankfully it went in and we won the game.”

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The match saw Notts County dominate the first half, with Conor Grant and Alassana Jatta both coming close to breaking the deadlock, only to be denied by goalkeeper Ben Amos and a goal-line clearance. Port Vale improved after the interval, culminating in Curtis's late strike.

Curtis added: “I just give 100% and hopefully it comes off for the lads which it did.”

The victory propels Port Vale to within a point of second-placed County, intensifying the promotion race in League Two. Looking ahead, Curtis emphasised the importance of maintaining momentum: “We’ve got to take it game by game and hopefully keep knocking them back and move onto the next one and keep pushing.”

He also acknowledged the challenge posed by their next opponents: “Salford are up there and fighting and trying to get play-offs or promotion and it’s so tight so we’ve got to focus on ourselves.”