 On 29 March he scored his 100th career goal, helping Vale to beat Lincoln City 2–1.After hitting the twenty goal mark at the penultimate game of the season, Richards became the first Vale player to score twenty goals for two seasons running since Martin Foyle (the man who originally signed him for the club) in 1993–94 and 1994–95.Despite only turning 29 weeks before the start of the 2011–12 season, the departure of namesake Justin Richards left him as the club's most senior professional.