Vale Resevres 1 Oldham Reserves 1

Final Third Development League

Port Vale 1 Oldham Ath 1

minute through Dominic Dell. He had been denied when he rounded the keeper only to see his shot cleared off the line. However, Vale maintained the pressure and, when Ryan Lloyd whipped over a cross from the left, Dell steered a side-footed volley past keeper Joe Coleman and inside the far post from 12 yards.^thVale took the lead in the 20

The Vale were punished for switching off after Oldham won a corner on the left. The ball was worked to John Paul Kissock on the left of the area and he drilled the ball low across Sam Johnson and just inside the far post.

minute Wilson Carvalho gave the ball away to Jordan Bove, who rounded the keeper, only to see his shot blocked on the line by centre half Doug Price.^rdIn the 63

Vale cranked up the pressure and went close again, on 73 minutes, when Gary O’Neill swung a free kick to the back post. Nathan Smith flung himself at the ball but his diving header was blocked by Coleman.
However, Vale should have regained the lead when a long ball sent striker Louis Tambini free of the defence. He lobbed the ball over keeper Coleman but clear of the bar.

Still Vale pressed, but they were frustrated again when Lloyd played in Tambini, only for the striker to see his shot smothered by Coleman.

Oldham went close to snatching the lead when Bove’s strike was blocked by Johnson, but Vale were soon back on the attack as the luckless Tambini saw his 18-yard volley deflected inches wide.

Vale looked like they had won it on 89 minutes when Lloyd’s cross picked out substitute Ricardo Swaby. He steered a header back across keeper Coleman, only to see the effort blocked on the line by a defender.

Port Vale: Johnson, Alexander, Price, Smith, Morris, Carvalho, O’Neill, Reeves, Lloyd, Tambini (Davies, 85), Dell (Swaby, 68).

Subs not used: Warner, Lander, Wright.

Oldham: Coleman, Gosset, Clarke, Dunfield (Brewster, 58), Fulwood, Kissock, Edmundson, Hardman, Pritchard (Byrnes, 58) Bove, Clarke-Harris (Kinder, 58).

Match Report: Phil Sherwin