Bore draw maintains Vale Park hoodoo
NEWPORT were left to ponder how they didn’t claim their first win at Vale Park since 1968 after dominating this goalless, but far from gutless, encounter.
Port Vale, without a win in 2018, were second best, but the point gained may well prove of great value, with Neil Aspin’s troops now just above the relegation places.
Newport’s failure to turn dominance of games into goals may well prove their undoing, with the Exiles now nine points off the playoffs and without a win in nine games in all competitions.
“It’s frustrating,” said Newport manager Mike Flynn.
“We dominate games, as we did in this one, but we’re not converting chances. That is why we’re losing ground on the play-off places.
“Good thing is, we’ve got back to the energy levels and application of when we played Spurs [in the FA Cup].
“There are still 12 games to go. I want to assure our fans, we will continue to fight and hopefully make up ground on those above us.”
Newport had the better of the first half, not that the Exiles clicked into gear immediately.
With only two minutes on the clock, Tom Pope set-up Michael Tonge, whose 25-yard screamer had Joe Day clutching at air, only for the ball to smack against the lefthand post.
Thereafter, the Newport midfield simultaneously found their touch and seized the initiative.
Dan Butler created numerous problems for the home side down the Newport left, whilst David Pipe and Frank Nouble combined well on the right.
Matt Dolan twice had goalbound shots blocked whilst Mickey Demetriou’s header came off Joe Davies but straight into the hands of home keeper Ryan Boot.
The Exiles continued in similar vein in the second half.
On 55 minutes, only a superb save at full-length from Boot denied Mark O’Brien. Minutes later, Boot was again at full-stretch, this time to frustrate Padraig Amond.
Pope biffed, barged and bandied about the Exiles penalty area on the few occasions the home side had Newport on the back foot.
Pope came nearest to giving Vale what would have been a fortuitous win when he saw his header saved by Day.
“We were second-best for most of the game,” said Aspin.
“But we kept a clean sheet, and, come the end of the season, this may prove to be a crucial point.”