Ok so, I was determined that the port did not need replacing (slipping it in and out of the dock port, i could see I was getting a few more milliseconds of the speaker...and after two more replies about cleaning, i have made another attempt!
I carefully took cotton from swab and nail tool to clean the long edges of the port pin inside the dock connector on the phone. Several gentle yet firm passes along this edge did the trick. It took determination (30 mins) but was successful!
Thank you for your support and tips!