Vale come from two goals down to share the spoils
Port Vale 2 (0) v Wigan Athletic 2 (2)
Wednesday 16 September 2015
RESERVES RECOVER TO CLAIM POINT
PORT VALE:Sam Johnson, Chekaine Steele, Aziz Deen-Conteh, Ryan Lloyd, Billy Reeves, Ryan McGivern, Chris Birchall, Michael Brown, Colin Daniel, JJ Hooper, Sam Kelly.
SUBS NOT USED:Harry Pickering, Dan Turner, Mackenzie Faulkner, James Gibbons, Alex Morris.
WIGAN ATHLETIC:Owen Evans, Arnold Baxendale, Alex Lingard, Brad Bauress, Adrian Purzycki, Luke Burke, Danny O’Brien, Matty Hamilton, Grant Holt (James Barrigan 79), Sam Cosgrove, Louis Robles.
SUBS NOT USED:
Latics: Unused Subs: Kelland Absalom, Sam Stubbs, Lloyd Bannister.
After Saturday’s exiting game between the club’s first XIs, it looked as though the fixture was going the same way but in reverse as Wigan went 2-0 up, were pegged back to 2-2 and then Vale had a player dismissed. However Vale did not conceded a late winner and still looked the more likely winner in the final 11 minutes in the battle between the top teams in the division from last season.
The game began at a relatively sedate pace with an early free-kick skidding through the Vale penalty area without anyone getting a touch and then Daniel putting a long range effort the wrong side of the post. Holt cut through the Vale defence to put in a decent effort that required Johnson to make a good save after 12 minutes but the breakthrough came for the visitors after 21 minutes as Holt crossed from the left and O’Brien rose above Deen-Conteh to head home the opening goal. 5 minutes later another cross saw a header from Cosgrove fly just over Johnson’s bar as Vale were offering very little in attack.
In spite of the Wigan superiority Vale almost equalised on the half hour mark as Hooper’s glancing header seemed to be heading for the far corner of the net but Evans outstretched hand clawed it away but only into Birchall’s path. His header hit the underside of the bar and came back out to be kicked to safety. Steele was booked for a body check in midfield but with 5 minutes of the half left Wigan extended their lead as corner on the left saw Nobles nip at the near post to place a header into the net.
meet the centre to crash a header into the far corner of the goal to bring Vale level.Hooper glanced home a header at the far post from a Steele cross. Vale were taking control of this half and after 10 minutes of the half a McGivern shot was deflected for a corner. Birchall’s corner saw Daniel minute goal to make a game of it, as ndVale were off the mark early on with Steele bringing a save out of the visiting ‘keeper before Johnson made an even better save to keep Vale in the game. Foley was then brought down in mid-field to see Wigan receive their first card of the game. Somewhat out of the blue Vale scored a 52
Vale pushed forward to find the winner with a Birchall free-kick going just over the bar and a foul on Daniel as he muscled forward saw Wigan’s second yellow card. McGivern’s effort from this award beat the wall but safely nestled in the ‘keeper’s arms.
With 12 minutes to go Grant fouled Steele but after the award of the foul an off the ball incident saw Steele see a straight red after tangling with Holt; Holt was immediately substituted. Johnson was required to push away an in-swinging corner at full stretch but 10 man Vale pushed for the winner in the final minutes as McGivern saw a header saved at the near post from Brown’s corner and a Hooper header caused consternation in the visitors defence before another Vale player was adjudged offside from the subsequent action as the a point a piece was a fair reflection of the 90 minutes.
Lindon Roberts – Port Vale Volunteers Group