Match report: Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Port Vale
Louis Dodds scored against Shrewsbury Town for the second time this season but a mistake by Jak Alnwick meant Vale were denied all three points.
Manager Rob Page made three changes with Sam Kelly, Ryan Inniss and the evergreen Michael Brown coming in for Byron Moore, Ryan McGivern and Anthony Grant. The latter was suffering from a virus.
The Valiants had a good start, forcing a couple of corner from which Inniss went close with a header. Vale’s next good chance came when good work from Hooper set up O’Connor but his shot couldn’t beat the keeper. Moments later good work from Dodds set up Hooper but his header went just wide.
The home side were restricted to a couple of shots from Shaun Whalley and another attempt from Ogogo which forced a good save from Alnwick. However, Vale had the final effort when O’Connor forced the Shrews keeper into a good save in the dying moments of the first-half as it finished goalless at the break.
The Valiants had early chances for Foley and O’Connor in the second-half and their pressure finally paid off when Louis Dodds’ header hit the cross bar and was deemed to have crossed the line. The goal was Dodds’ third goal against Shrewsbury since joining the Valiants and his sixth of the season.
The home side nearly equalised when a shot was cleared off the line and then Duffy blocked the follow-up. It was a real let-off for the Vale. However, Vale did concede eighteen minutes from time when Alnwick should have done better with a long-range shot from Sullay Kaikai.
Rob Page brought on Moore and Kennedy for Kelly and Foley as the away side tried to snatch a late winner but instead Vale were grateful for Alnwick who redeemed himself with a late one-on-one save from Akpo-Akpro.
There was a late flare-up as Shrewsbury defender Knight-Percival raised his hands to Richard Duffy after a challenge by the Vale defender. Knight-Percival was duly sent-off by the referee. Rob Page sent on Theo Robinson in the dying seconds but the Valiants were unable to make their man advantage count in injury time.
The Valiants really could have done with all three points to boost their faint play-off hopes but they will now be desperate to beat Barnsley on Easter Monday.
Match stats
Vale: Alnwick, Purkiss, Duffy, Inniss, Dickinson, Brown, O’Connor, Foley (Moore), Kelly (Kennedy), Dodds, Hooper (Robinson)
Subs: Boot, McGivern, Birchall, Yates
Attendance: 7,019 (1,250 away)