Port Vale 1 Walsall 1

Dec 27 2007 By Brian Halford

MICHAEL Ricketts' header, 15 seconds from the end of stoppage time, salvaged Walsall a point and extended their unbeaten run to 10 league games.

Having trailed to Marc Laird's 12th-minute strike, the Saddlers, down to 10 men since Danny Fox's 69th-minute dismissal, well and truly got out of jail.

And while a disjointed display did not harvest the defeat it merited, there is still plenty for manager Richard Money to ponder with fixtures looming thick and fast.

Tommy Mooney, so pivotal up front, limped off with a sore hamstring. How long he will be sidelined remains to be seen but Fox and Anthony Gerrard definitely have suspensions coming. Fox was red-carded for a second booking, then Gerrard copped his fifth of the season.

Port Vale fancied their chances of springing a surprise from the moment they seized an early lead. They were allowed to break the length of the field before Laird's drive found the bottom corner.

Mooney had already tweaked a hamstring and, after he failed to run the problem off, Troy Deeney went up front with Edrissa Sonko sent on on the right. But Mooney was only the first casualty of a bruising first half.

Deeney spent 10 minutes off having a head cut stitched after a collision with Jason Talbot, who never returned. Laird then limped off and by half-time all Vale's subs were on, Colin Miles having been stretchered away after a crunching, but fair, tackle by Rhys Weston.

Penny for Darren Wrack's thoughts as Miles was carted off. It was the-then Yeovil left-back who broke Wrack's leg two years ago - and never bothered to get in touch.

Amid all the stoppages and Walsall's stuttering, Peter Sweeney's class towered. He created the Saddlers' sole first-half chance on 34 minutes with a cross which Ricketts headed over.

The pattern of flux continued after the break. Deeney made way for Ishmel Demontagnac then the excellent Sweeney was strangely withdrawn.

Walsall then lost Fox - and couldn't send anyone on. The left-back's last-ditch lunge on Willock earned his second yellow card and the Saddlers were down to 10 men for the last quarter.

Ricketts, six yards out, hooked one chance over but then came the moment the 1,814 travelling Saddlers wanted.

Weston crossed deep and there was Ricketts at the far post. That unbeaten record - somehow - remains.

PORT VALE (4-3-3): Anyon; McGregor, Pilkington, Lowe, Talbot (Miles 36, Whitaker 45); Salmon, Harsley, Laird (Hul-bert, 36); Willock, Rodgers, McGoldrick. Not used: Martin, Richards.
WALSALL (4-4-2): Ince 7; Weston 7, Gerrard 6, Dann 6, Fox 6; Deeney 5 (Demontagnac 55, 6), Bradley 6, Wrack 6, SWEENEY 9 (Nicholls 63, 7); Ricketts 6, Mooney (Sonko 16, 5). Not used: Bossu, Roper.
Referee: P Joslin (Newark).