Neil Aspin hails Port Vale desire after rescuing late draw against Notts County
Posted Sunday, November 04, 2018 by PA
Neil Aspin hailed the desire of his Port Vale side as they fought back to earn a dramatic point in a 2-2 draw at home to Notts County.
Tom Pope’s late header earned a point at Vale Park, cancelling out Elliott Ward’s strike two minutes earlier.
The Staffordshire side initially led through Luke Hannant’s header but were pegged back nine minutes later by Kane Hemmings.
Aspin said: “I can’t fault the players again today. I thought we were the better team in the game.
“I thought we deserved to win the game. Obviously we could have lost the game at the end but it wasn’t a game where we should be rescuing a point – but it shows how we’ve come on.
“The players’ commitment and effort was excellent, but we looked like we could score goals today. Over the last few weeks we’ve dropped points but I’m pleased we’ve got a point.
“I felt we could score goals, we got good balls into the box, created chances so I can’t ask for anymore of the players.”
Aspin’s Valiants were in front after 13 minutes after Hannant headed Ben Whitfield’s left-wing cross into the top left-corner.
However, the hosts were pegged back nine minutes later when Hemmings diverted beyond goalkeeper Scott Brown after Enzio Boldewijn’s ball had rolled into his path.
Defender Ward then thumped County into an 87th-minute lead, finding the top-left corner when Jamie Turley flicked on a corner.
But Pope would prove to be the Vale hero, throwing himself at Nathan Smith’s flick-on to head over goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons to earn a point in dramatic circumstances.
Notts County boss Harry Kewell was left frustrated at the last-minute equaliser that his side conceded.
He said: “We got back into the game and controlled it but we knew, on a day like this, what Vale were going to do by putting balls into the box.
“We knew that Pope is a very smart striker, and we switched off at the last second and it is disappointing.
“People say that Port Vale had all the chances, but they were lumping it there hoping something would happen.
“We fell asleep and got sucked in, it is disappointing, but we’ll take a point.”
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