Vale's manager and assistant may have stropped it out the day before, with both getting off at different motorway services, but the players had the last laugh produced another fine win.
John McCombe was in the thick of things to finish cooly on 26 minutes, and Marc Richards got his first goal since November, heading home on 51.
But Vale came close to throwing it all away. Keeper Stuart Tomlinson brought down Danny Hylton on 65 minutes, but saved Anthony Charles' penalty.
But Peter Vincenti finally got Aldershot their well-deserved consolation on 68 minutes.
Vale hung on and remain 6th, 2 points off a promotion spot.