ELTON needed a win from this game but made their task difficult conceding inside five minutes to a poorly defended cross from the right.

Vale should have taken the lead with Ross Buckley providing incisive passes.

Dave Berry’s first touch pushed the ball too close to the keeper and Craig Greenhalgh suffered a similar fate as he tried to go round the shot-stopper.

In between, a Hearts defender had come close to an own goal, hitting his own post under pressure.

The equaliser came after 60 minutes after a foul on Berry. There was a long delay while the referee got his book out and got the defensive wall to the right distance before Buckley curled his shot.

After that, the second half was less productive with Vale players consistently trying to hold on to the ball and losing possession far too easily.

Every raid on the home end giving the Elton supporters a cause for concern.

With time running out, it looked like Elton had finally got a bit of luck as Richard Crook chased a ball into the penalty box. A 50-50 challenge with the goalkeeper went the Elton man’s way and his header was slowly reaching its target but a last-ditch clearance denied Vale a win.

The stalement followed Vale’s 4-1 home defeat at the hands of Manchester Gregorians the previous Tuesday in which Crook was their own scorer.

The reserves got a midweek 2-2 draw at Springhead but fell to a 5-0 defeat at Prestwich on Saturday. Vale first team have a revised fixture at home tonight against Hollinwood (6.30pm) and are at home again on Saturday to Old Alts (2pm).

The reserves have no game.