Port Vale 1 Walsall 1

Final Third Development League – Western Division

Port Vale 1 Walsall 1

The game kicked off 20 minutes late after the visitors were stuck in traffic, but they almost scored in the first minute when Kieron Morris curled a corner kick on to the top of the crossbar.

It was the Vale who went in front in the ninth minute. Walsall ‘keeper Richard Jones sliced a back pass up into the air which went straight to Jordan Hugill, and he controlled the ball before driving the ball past the exposed ‘keeper.

minute when Nicky Featherstone threaded a through ball to Danny Griffiths and he hit a low shot that Harry Pickering got his hands to but the ball squirmed under his body and over the line.^stWalsall drew level in the 21

Walsall were having the majority of the play and James McQuilkin hit a shot from the edge of the box that Pickering did well to save. Pickering did well to deny first Griffiths and then Jake Heath from close range

minute with a shot from the left hand corner of the box that was deflected just wide of the far post. Three minutes later Louis Dodds sent Hugill clear but his subsequent shot was smothered by Jones.^thFive minutes before the break Wilson Carvalho cut in from the left and hit a shot that went into the side netting as Vale replied. It was Carvalho who had Vale’s first effort of the second period in the 55

Vale substitute Billy Reeves went down the left and had a cross deflected behind for a corner as the home side sought to regain the lead but it came to nothing.

Dodds almost broke free just before the final whistle but honours ended even.

Port Vale: Pickering, Yates, T.Morris (Smith 68), O’Neill, Price, Davis, Carvalho (Reeves 56), Lloyd, Hugill, Dodds, Taylor

Sub not used – Lewis

Walsall:Jones, George, Benning, Purkiss, Christopherou, Featherstone, McQuilkin, Heath, Hewitt (McKenzie 71), Griffiths, K.Morris.