Match ends, Port Vale 1, Coventry City 1.
Port ValePort Vale1CoventryCoventry City1
Port Vale substitute Sam Kelly struck a superb, late equaliser to earn a well-deserved point against Coventry City.
City keeper Reice Charles-Cook denied Vale striker AJ Leitch-Smith four times as Vale dominated in the first half.
Jacob Murphy put the Sky Blues ahead against the run of play when he rounded Jak Alnwick and passed the ball in.
Charles-Cook saved brilliantly from Carl Dickinson's free-kick after the break, but was unable to stop Kelly's 20-yard, 84th-minute left-foot stunner.
Summer signing Kelly's goal, the second he has scored as a Vale substitute this season, came just four minutes after coming off the bench to replace Byron Moore.
City are now without a win in five games, while Vale, who lost defender Ryan Inniss with a first-half hamstring injury, are unbeaten in 11 home league matches - their best run since John Rudge's side 22 years ago.
Port Vale manager Rob Page told BBC Radio Stoke:
"I'm extremely proud of the players to have done that because of the managers that have been here before. John Rudge is an absolute hero at this club and rightly so.
"They've given that level of performance week in, week out. To have only lost one going into the second week of February is a great achievement.
"This run has been about levels of performance. When you give that level of performance from 1 to 11 then you will win more than you lose. I think teams will respect us."
Sky Blues boss Tony Mowbray told BBC Coventry & Warwickshire:
"It was going to take something pretty special to beat Reice. It's important to collect points from games like this but we've got 16 games to go and we need to start winning.
"We changed tactics. We've been working on ways to win. We scored a lot earlier in the season through breaking away and using our speed to get behind. And we did that ok at times.
"We probably should have scored a few more as we've had a few great chances and one cleared off the line at the end."
Line-ups
Port Vale
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 21Alnwick
- 2Purkiss
- 6Duffy
- 26InnissSubstituted forMcGivernat 36'minutes
- 3Dickinson
- 19MooreSubstituted forKellyat 80'minutes
- 42Grant
- 11Foley
- 9Kennedy
- 25RobinsonSubstituted forHooperat 68'minutes
- 20Leitch-Smith
Substitutes
- 5McGivern
- 15Hooper
- 16Yates
- 17Brown
- 18Kelly
- 23Boot
- 28Campion
Coventry
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 23Charles-Cook
- 15Stephens
- 38Cargill
- 18Ricketts
- 3StokesBooked at 90mins
- 7Fleck
- 16Rose
- 12LorentzsonSubstituted forRamageat 33'minutes
- 25MurphySubstituted forO'Brienat 80'minutes
- 10MaddisonSubstituted forHendersonat 64'minutesBooked at 70mins
- 9Armstrong
Substitutes
- 1Burge
- 8Lameiras
- 11O'Brien
- 14Cole
- 22Ramage
- 32Fortuné
- 44Henderson
- Referee:
- Phil Gibbs
- Attendance:
- 6,320
Match Stats
Home TeamPort ValeAway TeamCoventry
- Possession
- Home58%
- Away42%
- Shots
- Home13
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away4
- Corners
- Home9
- Away4
- Fouls
- Home6
- Away15
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Port Vale 1, Coventry City 1.
Post update
(Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by John Fleck (Coventry City).
Post update
Attempt saved. Darius Henderson (Coventry City) header from the left side of the six yard box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Post update
Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Sam Foley.
Post update
Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Matthew Kennedy.
Post update
Corner, Coventry City. Conceded by Carl Dickinson.
Post update
Anthony Grant (Port Vale) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Darius Henderson (Coventry City).
Post update
Anthony Grant (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by John Fleck (Coventry City).
Post update
Foul by Richard Duffy (Port Vale).
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Andy Rose (Coventry City) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Anthony Grant (Port Vale) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Post update
Foul by John Fleck (Coventry City).
Goal!
Goal! Port Vale 1, Coventry City 1. Sam Kelly (Port Vale) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner.
Substitution
Substitution, Port Vale. Sam Kelly replaces Byron Moore.
Substitution
Substitution, Coventry City. Jim O'Brien replaces Jacob Murphy.
Post update
Corner, Port Vale. Conceded by John Fleck.
