Port Vale closed to within a point of second-placed Notts County after beating their promotion rivals 1-0 thanks to a late winner from substitute Ronan Curtis.

Curtis slotted home the winning goal with just five minutes remaining to settle the clash at Vale Park as the in-form Magpies saw their six-match unbeaten run come to an end.

The result means County missed the chance to close the gap on out-of-form League Two leaders Walsall to four points, and leaves five teams within a point of each other from the Magpies in second to Vale in sixth.

The visitors dominated the first half and came close to opening the scoring in the seventh minute when Conor Grant’s close-range effort was superbly saved by Ben Amos prior to Alassana Jatta’s attempt being cleared off the line.

County, with 16 points from their previous six games, looked threatening again just after the half-hour mark, with Amos forced into action to save Rod McDonald’s shot shortly before turning another Grant effort behind for a corner.

Matt Palmer tried his luck from distance a few minutes later as the Magpies continued in their search to break the deadlock, but he failed to find the target as the match remained goalless going into half-time.

Vale came into the game more in the second half, with Lorent Tolaj’s shot well blocked by Zak Johnson just beyond the hour mark.

But it was not until the 85th minute that the decisive moment came as the unmarked Curtis chested down Tolaj’s looping cross at the far post and volleyed home.

Mai Traore climbed off the bench to make his County debut and he came agonisingly close to equalising, only for his header to come back off the crossbar in stoppage time.