Port Vale make it six unbeaten at home in the league following a 1-1 draw against an in-form Salford City side.
It was a quiet start between the two sides during the opening exchanges at Vale Pak, with long balls seeming to be the trend in the first few minutes, both sides were quick to figure out that the strong wind would have a part to play.
However, after five minutes Richie Bennett thought he was going to be in for his third goal in two games when Cameron Burgess’ header back to Kyle Letheren didn’t quite have the power intended, yet the Salford keeper was quick off his line to gather the ball before Bennett could get there.
Mitchell Clark looked lively early on as he made his second debut for the club this afternoon, and he did well to burst into the Salford box down the left and deliver the ball into a dangerous area, but no one in white was there to get on the end of it.
The wind didn’t slow down at all in the opening first 10 minutes and Letheren was the first to experience it first-hand. David Worrall cut inside onto his right-foot and crossed deep to the back post, and the Salford keeper came to collect it but misjudged the wind and could only readjust to flick it out for a corner.
From the resulting delivery, the ball found its way to Scott Burgess on the edge of the box who tried his luck, narrowly missing the top corner after 15 minutes.
After 20 minutes, the away side put together a scarce attack and it nearly paid dividends. A long ball over the top towards the back-post found Adam Rooney who couldn’t quite divert his effort on target; an opportunity wasted by the Ammies.
Things quietened down throughout the next ten minutes, with neither side managing to create any real chances yet the Vale continued to enjoy the majority of possession.
Bennett and Worrall looked to carve open a chance for Askey’s side as we approached the closing stages of the first-half. Worrall looked for a one-two with the Vale forward, but the through-ball is slightly overhit and Letheren came out to collect to thwart the danger.
Moments later Bennett should have put the Valiants ahead. A ball was played into the box from the left and the Vale number 21 looked to have bundled it over the line from close-range but the Salford keeper did well to hold onto it.
Chances came few and far between for both sides in the first-half, and neither team could find the breakthrough as it remained goalless at the interval.
Amoo looked to continue his fine form of late early on in this second-half, and he battled well to win the ball from the Salford full-back in the box and try his luck from a tight angle but a deflection took the ball into the arms of Letheren.
Ten minutes into the second-half the Vale took the lead courtesy of a Burgess own goal. Clark, on his return to Vale Park, burst down the left-wing and delivered a venomous cross into the box and Burgess could only divert past his own keeper to put the Valiants in front.
Worrall thought had doubled the lead when he latched onto a ball from Burgess and lofted the ball over Letheren into the net, but the linesman had his flag raised to deny the Vale winger.
With 25 minutes left, Salford began to apply some real pressure as they looked to find a way back into this one, yet the Vale backline stood firm.
Moments later, their pressure nearly bore fruit when Liam Hogan rose highest from a corner, but his bullet header skimmed the crossbar.
Clark looked to threaten Salford once more in this one and proceeded to cut inside and unleash a fine effort from outside the box but couldn’t direct is past Letheren.
With 15 minutes left, substitute, Tom Elliot, restored parity for the Ammies when he nodded in at the back post to set up a nervy ending at Vale Park.
With just over five minutes left, the game was hanging in the balance and the away side nearly took the lead when Rooney looked to find the bottom corner but saw his effort flash just wide.
Port Vale continue their fine form at home but were forced to settle for a point against Salford this afternoon.
Port Vale: Brown, Gibbons, Joyce, Legge, Worrall Conlon, Amoo, Burgess, Bennett (70' Pope), Clark, Brisley
Unused Subs: Maddison, Atkinson, Lloyd, Browne, Evans, Campbell-Gordon
Salford City: Letheren, Wiseman, Touray, Hogan, Rooney, Burgess, Baldwin, Andrade, Thomas-Astante (67' Elliot), O’Connor (67' Towell), Hunter (90, Hunter)
Unused Subs: Neal, Threlkeld, Armstrong,