Kelly goal earns Latics a point

GOAL . . . Liam Kelly

ATHLETIC 1 PORT VALE 1

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LIAM Kelly netted an equaliser that saved a point for Athletic in a tense scrap with Port Vale.

Sam Foley had opened the scoring on the hour with a volley that took a deflection on its way past Joel Coleman, after the goalkeeper had initially miscued a punch when trying to clear a corner.

The visitors should have gone two-nil up when Ajay Leitch-Smith blasted wastefully over, after Coleman had saved well from Foley.

And in a madcap eight-minute period, Kelly hammered in the rebound from on the line after his penalty had been pushed onto a post by Chris Neal. The spot-kick was awarded for a push on Anthony Gerrard as he stretched to try to meet a cross.

Leitch-Smith headed at Coleman and Kelly saw a header blocked and a long-range effort juggled by Neal as an even first half ended.

The flurry of action that followed was itself followed by an end-to-end period as both sides pushed for a winning goal that failed to materialise.