Jordan’s jumping for joy in late show

YEOVIL rescued a replay against Port Vale thanks to a last-minute headed equaliser from the smallest player on the pitch.

Vale looked set to go through to the third round after top scorer Tom Pope put them in front in the second half with his tenth goal of the season.

But as the game ticked into the 90th minute, diminutive winger Jordan Green popped up to head in a cross from Oscar Gobern from close range.

It means the two teams will both watch tomorrow’s third-round draw with interest before meeting again at Huish Park next Tuesday.

After seeing his team come so close to progressing into the next round, Vale boss Neil Aspin was left frustrated by the draw.

He said: “I think we deserved to win the game and it leaves a sour taste in your mouth when you concede an equaliser so late in the game.

“Now we’ve got a replay which isn’t great for us, it gives us an extra game which we could really do without.

“I’m very frustrated and it feels like a defeat. You get used to setbacks in football and you learn to get over bad times, but it leaves a bad taste when you let a goal in so late in the game.

“There were some plusses to take from the game and some good performances from some players, but we really should have won the game.”

Yeovil will now have home advantage for the replay, and manager Darren Way was delighted to snatch a draw so late on.

He said: “We finished the game strongly and towards the end I thought an equaliser was looking inevitable.

“I’m pleased for Jordan because it’s his first goal for us and it could obviously prove to be an important goal for us.

“To be in the hat for the third-round draw is great, and the last time we were in this situation we ended up playing Manchester United after a replay with Accrington.

“It could have been a disappointing day but now we’ll see who we get in the draw and it could set up the replay perfectly.”

After a scrappy first half, Pope opened the scoring after the break when he headed in a cross from sub Tyler Denton at the back post.

On 85 minutes the home side should have doubled their lead as Marcus Harness set up Anton Forrester, only for the striker to shoot wide from close range.

And in the final minute, Gobern’s cross was deflected to fellow sub Green, who nodded his first Yeovil goal to give them a replay.