4:56pm Saturday 3rd March 2012
A LATE leveller from substitute Will Hatfield earned Paul Cook his first point as Accrington Stanley boss in this afternoon’s League Two fixture at the Crown Ground.
Port Vale went ahead in the 27th minute as on-loan keeper Lee Nicholls misjudged a punch clear and Jamie McCombe headed in from close range.
The Reds were level in first half stoppage time, though, as Danny Coid’s long range shot was blocked and the ball eventually ricocheted into the path of Padraig Amond to turn into an empty net from eight yards.
Stanley had a fine chance to move in front at the start of the second period but Jamie Devitt lashed over from a good position after getting on the end of Amond’s pull-back.
That miss proved costly as Chris Shuker restored Vale’s lead in the 56th minute, his shot slipping through the grasp of keeper Nicholls.
But the Reds introduced Hatfield late on and the midfielder curled home from the edge of the box to give Stanley a share of the spoils two minutes from time.
Stanley: Lee Nicholls; Danny Coid (Kurtis Guthrie 78), Toto Nsiala, Michael Liddle, Kevin McIntyre; Luke Joyce, Charlie Barnett; Craig Lindfield (Micah Evans 60), Peter Murphy, Jamie Devitt (Will Hatfield 84); Padraig Amond. Subs not used: Ian Dunbavin, Liam Willis.
Port Vale: Stuart Tomlinson; Doug Loft, John McCombe, Clayton McDonald (Lee Collins 46), Rob Taylor; Anthony Griffith, Paul Marshall (Sam Morsy 76); Louis Dodds, Chris Shuker, Sean Rigg; Tom Pope (Ben Williamson 76). Subs not used: Chris Martin.
Referee: Robert Lewis.
Attendance: 2,093.
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