Port Vale boss maintains play-off push is still on following the 0-0 draw at Torquay

Apr 17 2011 by Mark Woodward, Sunday Mercury

VALE boss Mark Grew was full of praise for his players after a battling draw at Plainmoor in which only the crossbar and a late goal-line clearance stood between his side and victory.

And he stressed that Vale’s bid for play-off glory was far from over.

He said: “I can’t ask any more from the players than they have given today. We have worked hard this week. We have focused on the job in hand and with a bit of luck we could have won the game.

“Make no mistake, we haven’t given up yet, and I’m not going to give up on this until the fat lady stops singing.”

Grew made two changes to his starting XI. Louis Dodds lined up in the centre of midfield in place of the injured Doug Loft, while Sam Morsy replaced Gary Roberts.

Marc Richards had Vale’s first chance of the game after six minutes when Robert Taylor found him inside the box, but Richards was unable to control the pass and the ball went wide.

Taylor had a shot charged down in the tenth minute but at the other end keeper Stuart Tomlinson was grateful to smother a loose ball after home striker Gavin Tomlin had charged down his clearance.

Vale made a lively start but the home side worked their way back into the game and Tomlinson had to get down smartly to deny Jake Robinson on the half-hour.

Richards pulled a free-kick just wide of the Torquay goal in the 33rd minute and Eunan O’Kane returned the compliment for the home side with a drive that fizzed just past Tomlinson’s upright.

Roberts came on for Morsy at the break and the tempo of a lively match showed no signs of slowing. Guy Branston missed a great chance from a corner for Torquay while Roberts and Richards continued to cause problems for the home defence.

As the tension mounted and both sides pushed for the opening goal Roberts tried his luck with a free-kick from halfway, but home keeper Scott Bevan got back to his line in time to deny him.

Torquay bombarded the Vale penalty area with a succession of corners and long throws, but John McCombe and Gareth Owen were uncompromising and in no mood to give anything away.

Grew played his final card seven minutes from time, throwing Lewis Haldane on for Dodds, but it was Torquay who came close moments later, Chris Zebroski shooting into the side netting after making a strong run through the Vale defence.

The game really came to life in the closing minutes. Vale sub Sean Rigg hit the Torquay crossbar in the 84th minute with a volley from the edge of the box, which Bevan could only stand and admire as it flew by, and Torquay skipper Lee Mansell cleared a McCombe header off the line.

Torquay had the ball in the net a minute from time but Chris Robertson’s header was ruled out for a foul. It was an all-action end to the game, but neither side could make the breakthrough.