Pope salvages point for Vale
Last Updated: April 1, 2013 7:15pm
Tom Pope: In fine fettle
Tom Pope rescued Port Vale again with a late header in a 2-2 draw with Chesterfield at the Proact Stadium.
Darren Purse headed the visitors in front but former Valiants striker Marc Richards silenced the 2,000 travelling Vale fans with a deflected free-kick and a sharp finish only for Pope to bag his 31st goal of the season in the 85th minute to salvage a point.
Vale went in front in the fifth minute when Purse was allowed to run across the face of goal to head a corner past Tommy Lee from eight yards.
But Chesterfield responded with two goals in the space of four minutes, with a 25-yard free-kick from Richards taking a big deflection to wrongfoot Chris Neal before the striker scored from a tight angle after Neal could only parry a Jay O'Shea shot.
Vale had been second best in the first half but they carried more of a threat after the break, Doug Loft lifting the ball on to the roof of the net in the 66th minute before his 20-yard shot was tipped over four minutes later.
But Vale's pressure told in the 85th minute when Pope's downward header squirmed under the body of Lee.
Matches
-
npower League 2
Table
npower League 2
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gillingham | 46 | 83 |
| 2 | Rotherham United | 46 | 79 |
| 3 | Port Vale | 46 | 78 |
| 4 | Burton Albion | 46 | 76 |
| 5 | Cheltenham Town | 46 | 75 |
| 6 | Northampton Town | 46 | 73 |
| 7 | Bradford City | 46 | 69 |
| 8 | Chesterfield | 46 | 67 |
| 9 | Oxford United | 46 | 65 |
| 10 | Exeter City | 46 | 64 |
| 11 | Southend United | 46 | 61 |
| 12 | Rochdale | 46 | 61 |
| 13 | Fleetwood Town | 46 | 60 |
| 14 | Bristol Rovers | 46 | 60 |
| 15 | Wycombe Wanderers | 46 | 60 |
| 16 | Morecambe | 46 | 58 |
| 17 | York City | 46 | 55 |
| 18 | Accrington Stanley | 46 | 54 |
| 19 | Torquay United | 46 | 53 |
| 20 | AFC Wimbledon | 46 | 53 |
| 21 | Plymouth Argyle | 46 | 52 |
| 22 | Dagenham & Redbridge | 46 | 51 |
| 23 | Barnet | 46 | 51 |
| 24 | Aldershot Town | 46 | 48 |
