Accrington Stanley vs Port Vale. Sky Bet League Two.
Wham StadiumAttendance2,093.
Saturday 3 March 2012 20:14, UK
Will Hatfield's late equaliser against Port Vale earned Accrington a 2-2 draw and their first point under new boss Paul Cook.
Cook had suffered three defeats in his first three games but Hatfield fired home from the edge of the box two minutes from time to prevent Vale securing a win. Troubled Vale, with the threat of administration looming, did extend their unbeaten run to seven games but had looked on course for victory. The Valiants took the lead when Stanley's on-loan goalkeeper Lee Nicholls could not get a firm punch on Louis Dodds' flick-on and the ball ballooned up in the air before John McCombe's backward header found the back of the net after 29 minutes. There were limited chances for both sides but Stanley got back into it on the stroke of half-time with their first goal in over seven hours of football. Danny Coid's long-range effort ricocheted around the penalty area and fell nicely for Padraig Amond who was unmarked six yards out. However, Vale again edged ahead when Chris Shuker's long-range effort went through the arms of Nicholls after 56 minutes. It looked like it would be enough until Hatfield fired home his first goal for Accrington in the dying minutes.
