Easter earns Bristol Rovers win as Port Vale pay penalty

A 63rd-minute penalty from Jermaine Easter clinched Bristol Rovers a 2-1 League One home win over Port Vale at the Memorial Stadium. The experienced striker drilled a low spot-kick to the left of goalkeeper Jak Alnwick after a foul by Paulo Tavares on substitute Byron Moore. Vale had taken a 23rd-minute lead when a mix-up in the centre of the Rovers defence allowed Martin Paterson space inside the box to drill a left-foot shot past Kelle Roos from 12 yards. But Rovers had created the better openings to that point and equalised a minute before the break. Lee Brown delivered a deep cross from the left to the far post where Ellis Harrison rose to send a powerful header back across goal and into the roof of the net. After Easter's decisive spot-kick, Rovers might have increased their lead when Moore's chip bounced back off the far post with Alnwick out of his goal. Vale applied late pressure, but the hosts held out for a deserved win.