Port Vale 1 Rushden & Diamonds 1

Last updated : 29 November 2003 By Footymad Previewer

Port Vale and Rushden & Diamonds had to settle for a share of the spoils as they drew 1-1 at Vale Park Vale were a man down even before kick off, with promising youngster Barry Painter pulling out sick at the last minute.

Visitors Rushden and Diamond's away form is woeful and they went into the game hoping to boost their mid-table position.

Diamonds had a flying start with winger Rodney Jack causing no end of trouble for the Vale defence.

Richie Hanlen had two early chances, with his best being a volley off a George Pilkington cross, but his effort was parried around the post with a good stop from Jonathan Brain.

However, it was the Valiants who took the lead after 10 minutes when Steve McPhee played a throughball for Adrian Littlejohn, who turned inside on his left to crack an impressive drive that left keeper Jamie Ashdown with no chance as it flew into his bottom right corner.

Rushden deserved an equaliser before the break and got it after Levi Reed could not quite clear, allowing Jack to feed Trevor Benjamin who squeezed the ball inside Brains' right post on 31 minutes from 18 yards.

Jack continued to cause problems after half time and popped up in the 61st minute to take on Reed yet again, but his ten yard shot on the right side of the area was brilliantly saved by Brain to get the clearance.

The substitution of Ian Armstrong at half-time allowed Vale to play more attacking, and it certainly showed in the last third of the game as Littlejohn and McPhee stretched Rushden's defence to near breaking point.

However, it was the Diamonds who had the final chance with an Andy Lowe effort forcing yet another quality save out of Brain.

Rushden manager Brian Talbot said: "We worked hard and battled hard. They are a bigger club than us but there again, every team in the Second Division are bigger than us and coming away from home, you have to look for a positive result, and today was a positive result." "They got on top of us in the second half but we had a chance right at the end where we could have nicked it."