Two late Fleetwood Town goals earn the visitors a share of the points at Vale Park
The Vale flew out the blocks and had the games first attack inside a minute. Jensen Weir brought the ball over halfway before finding Ethan Chislett who looked to be in on goal. He cut inside and played the ball back to Weir who was stopped at the last second by a well time sliding tackle from Ben Heneghan who stole the ball at the last second.
Seventeen minutes into the game the Vale took the lead when Ben Garrity picked up a loose ball in midfield and found Baylee Dipepa on the edge of the box. Dipepa then turned and found Weir on his own in the area before he finished first time beyond the reach of Jay Lynch who couldn’t stop it from finding the bottom corner.
Ten minutes later Vale came inches away from doubling their lead. Tom Sang’s in-swinging corner from the left was met by the head of Alex Iacovitti but his powerful header flew the wrong side of the post.
The visitors had their first real attempt on goal in the 36th minute when Promise Omochere latched onto a loose ball down the right before cutting inside and forcing Connor Ripley to tip his effort around the post.
In the 40th minute The Valiants had another glorious chance when Ethan Chislett drove into the box but fired wide from the right side. Two minutes later, Chislett was able to make amends for this miss when he won Vale a penalty. A corner from the was over everyone and as Chislett chased the loose ball he was pulled down and the referee awarded a spot kick. Chislett dusted himself down and dispatched his penalty to double Vale’s lead just before the break.
The visitors began the second half the brighter of the two sides and had the first chance when Pheonix Patterson burst into the box before shooting towards goal but it was deflected over the bar by the outstretched leg of Kacper Lopata.
Fleetwood continued to push for a goal that would get them back into the game, they came close again in the 54th minute when Carl Johnston’s deep cross was met by Jayden Stockley who could only find the roof of the net from six yards out.
On the hour mark The Cod Army really should have halved the deficit when Ryan Coughlan was played in behind, he drove towards goal and fired a low effort that was well saved by Ripley who blocked the shot with his legs.
Despite the Fleetwood pressure, Vale had an opportunity of their own in the 66th minute to potentially kill the game. Alex Mighten played Ryan Loft in-behind and as the Vale striker bared down on goal he poked his effort wide of the near post following some good defending from Bosun Lawal.
Fleetwood finally made their pressure pay when they pulled a goal back in the 87th minute. A long ball over the top wasn’t cleared by the Vale backline and Jayden Stockley finished well from close range.
In the 93rd minute Fleetwood Town levelled the scores when Jayden Stockley headed home a corner from the right to earn his side a point in the dying minutes of the game.
Port Vale | Connor Ripley, Dan Jones, Tom Sang, Kacper Lopata, Ben Garrity, Ethan Chislett (Alex Mighten 57’), Funso Ojo (Jason Lowe 57’), Alex Iacovitti, Jensen Weir (James Plant 83’), Baylee Dipepa (Ryan Loft 57’), Jesse Debrah
Subs not used: Jayson Leutwiler, Nathan Smith, Gavin Massey
Fleetwood Town | Jay Lynch, Carl Johnston (Shaun Rooney 63’), Brendan Wiredu, Bosun Lawal, Elijah Campbell, Danny Mayor, Ryan Broom (Ryan Graydon 45’), Ben Heneghan, Promise Omochere (Jayden Stockley 45’), Ronan Coughlan
Subs not used: Stephen McMullan, Imari Samuels, Tom Longergan, Harrison Holgate.