Fleetwood Town came back from behind to pick up a valuable point in their 1-1 draw against Port Vale on Saturday afternoon at Highbury.
With the pressure mounting in the last 15 minutes of the game, Scott Brown’s side must have felt like they could have completed the comeback and taken all three points from the home clash, but they had to settle for a point as Jack Marriott’s first goal for the club cancelled out Matty Taylor’s opener.
Supporters had to wait until the 10th minute for the first meaningful attack of the game when Marriott picked up the ball in a good position, but unfortunately couldn’t sort his feet out, with the attack dwindling out after the backline caught him up.
Seconds later, the visitors went on an attack of their own as David Worrall struck the ball towards the Town goal from a counter-attack, which was deflected meaning it was a tough stop for Jay Lynch, but one that the Cod Army have become accustomed to seeing from the number 13.
Fleetwood’s first chance of the game came not on goal, but after a lofted ball downfield from Josh Earl to Harvey Macadam, Town’s number 27 did win his side a corner. Nothing came from it but after sitting back for the opening quarter hour, the Cods showed some signs of attack.
Just shy of the half-hour mark, Port Vale’s dominance in the game began to show as they had a couple of flash chances, but one that should have been converted by Taylor - at the break it remained 0-0 as neither side could find an opening.
Just a few minutes after the second half got underway, you could instantly see the impact the tall figure of Jayden Stockley had for Town. His presence was helping get Fleetwood up the pitch. However, it was Vale who began the second half like they did the first.
The ball fell to Sammy Robinson and his shot trickled across the face of goal and just like midway through the first 45 minutes, Town were lucky not to be behind. The danger created by the visiting attack showed again when they took the lead in the 57th minute through Taylor, who cleverly cut back to put the ball past Lynch.
After an off-the-ball incident where there was a bit of a to-do in the Fleetwood penalty area, Town’s Toto Nsiala, along with Vale’s Sammy Robinson and Taylor were all shown yellow cards. Town then had a chance which saw substitute Brendan Wiredu hit the ball on target but didn’t do enough to trouble Aidan Stone.
In search of an equaliser, Shaun Rooney found himself bursting forward, Josh Vela then played him through, and Rooney then delivered a great ball into the box, but Stockley couldn’t get on the end of it. The chances were at a premium for Town and that was their downfall in the game.
Town nearly had the equaliser eight minutes from time when Carlos Mendes Gomes took aim from just outside the box which drew a great save from Stone.
Moments later from the resulting corner, a scramble in Port Vale’s box saw the ball fall to Marriott who managed to squeeze it home to level the game.
Town XI: Lynch (GK), Wiredu, Mendes Gomes, Vela (C), Marriott, Warrington (Holgate 46’), Patterson (Ndaba 87’), Rooney, Macadam (Stockley 46’)
Unused subs: Fon Williams (GK), Batty, Johnston, McMillan.
Vale XI: Stone (GK), Donnelly, Smith, Worrall, Conlon (C), Ojo, Forrester, Taylor, Harrison (Proctor 71’), Pett, Robinson (Benning 73’)
Unused subs: Stevens (GK), Holden, Agyakwa, Butterworth, Politic.