PORT VALE 1, OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1
Draw specialists Oldham Athletic did it again as they were held to a 1-1 stalemate at Port Vale.
This was the seventh of 10 games in Sky Bet League One to finish all square with interim manager David Dunn drawing all of the three games since he took charge.
It looked as though Oldham might win only their second game of the season when Sheffield United loanee Michael Higdon gave them a first-half lead.
But Higdon’s first goal for Latics was cancelled out by a second-half strike from Watford loan striker Uche Ikpeazu as Oldham have drawn all five away league games.
Oldham made only one change from the side that kicked off Saturday’s home league game against Wigan Athletic as Dominic Poleon replaced Danny Philliskirk.
Poleon was rewarded for coming off the bench and scoring Latics’ equaliser as interim manager went with two players up front.
Mike Jones forced a decent early save from Vale keeper Jak Alnwick.
Vale’s best spell came mid half when they forced a series of corners in quick succession with Colin Daniel and Remie Street going close with headers.
The breakthrough came after 35 minutes when Higdon found the net with a far post header from a Jones corner, the first goal of his loan move from Sheffield United.
And Latics ought to have gone two up on the stroke of half time when Poleon’s fierce drive was parried by Alnwick and Higdon fired the rebound over the bar when he ought to have found the net.
Poleon had another great chance to increase the lead but fired agonisingly wide early in the second half.
Vale created little, though a long-range drive from Anthony Grant fizzed past the upright as they came within a whisker of equalising.
The Valiants drew level with 19 minutes left after a delightful passing move carved open the Oldham defence.
Sam Foley delivered the decisive ball from the right to find unmarked Ikpeazu who couldn’t miss as he was left completely unmarked in front of goal for his fifth goal of the season.
Late in the game substitute Danny Philliskirk and Poleon had good chances for Oldham, but a winning goal eluded them.
Then in the fifth minute of stoppage time, Vale almost pinched a winner when Carl Dickinson’s header was parried by Oldham keeper David Cornell and scrambled to safety as referee Ross Joyce sounded the final whistle