PORT Vale failed to fully capitalise on last week's stunning 5-0 win at Chesterfield as they could only draw 1-1 with lowly Cheltenham Town this afternoon, writes Steve Shaw.

Vale's first draw in 12 games deals a blow to their play-off chances but doesn't destroy them with nine games left to play.

But they will feel disappointed to have left Whaddon Road with just a point especially after dominating large periods of the first-half.

Defender John McCombe scored his fourth goal of the campaign to thrust Vale into an early lead.

But Robins loan winger Medy Elito took full advantage of an error from Valiants keeper Joe Anyon to level from close range before the break.

Influential defender Gareth Owen handed the Valiants a massive boost by declaring himself fit, despite suffering a minor knee injury during the week.

The 27-year-old's inclusion meant Vale boss Micky Adams was able to name the same squad that thrashed high-flying Chesterfield 5-0 at Saltergate last week.

Cheltenham's starting line-up included teenage striker Louis Almond who yesterday joined The Robins from Championship side Blackpool on loan until the end of the season.

During a tight and frenetic opening five minutes neither side created a notable chance before the visitors burst into life.

On six minutes loan striker Craig Davies slipped in Lewis Haldane whose right-flank cross was met by Rob Taylor.

However, the left-midfielder's poorly-struck volley, from eight yards, flew the wrong side of the near left-hand post.

Vale were ahead three minutes later when Davies once again fed the ball to the right-flank - this time to Tommy Fraser

The skipper's excellent pinpoint delivery was met by McCombe who expertly glanced his header into the far left-hand corner from seven yards.

The Robins got the chance to respond just two minutes later when Haldane conceded a free-kick in a dangerous central position, 20 yards from goal.

But Vale's defensive wall did its job by blocking David Bird's low driven set-piece.

Davies was causing Cheltenham all sorts of problems with his physical approach, and on 16 minutes, watched his angled strike fly wide via a deflection off defender Michael Townsend.

Despite winning a clutch of corners the hosts were barely threatening Anyon's goal.

But that changed in the 22nd minute when Matt Thornhill rattled the crossbar with a thunderous 20-yard shot.

On the half-hour mark Haldane earned the game's first booking for a late challenge.

The resulting free-kick, taken but Thornhill deep on the left, swept through a crowd of players in Vale's congested box allowing Anyon to collect.

Four minutes later Almond cut inside from the left before his angled drive was turned around the near post by Anyon.

In a crazy two-minute period Vale should have taken the lead before Cheltenham engineered an equaliser in the 40th minute.

Before then Davies connected with Collins's right-wing cross only to watch Robins keeper Scott Brown tip his 10-yard drive onto the bar.

Marc Richards's follow-up shot, from two yards out, struck the near left-hand post before Davies's angled drive was deflected over.

Cheltenham levelled when Michael Pook swung the ball over from the right.

Anyon came to punch but his weak connection looped the ball behind him, allowing Elito to bundle the ball over the line.

Almond almost handed Cheltenham an undeserved half-time lead going into the break but could only direct his close-range effort wide, meeting a cross from Elito.

Two minutes after the break Anyon held onto Thornhill's well-struck 20-yarder.

Moments later, Rob Taylor wasted a good shooting opportunity by miss-timing a 16-yard effort before Thornhill blazed over with another long-range effort.

Cheltenham suddenly had a spring in their step as the game enjoyed an end-to-end feel.

Just before the hour-mark Davies blotted his copy book when he went over in Cheltenham's box under an Aaron Lescott challenge.

But at first glance Davies appeared to dive and was rightly hit with a caution, before Bird fired two efforts – both from distance – wide.

Cheltenham continued to gain in confidence as Fraser conceded a free-kick right on the edge of Vale's box in the 67th minute.

Aaron Lescott's set-piece cannoned off Vale's wall into the path of Elito who miss-controlled the ball which was scooped up by Anyon.

Adams threw the dice in the 71st minute having already unleashed Louis Dodds from the bench at the expense of Rob Taylor

This time he made a double-substitution swapping Haldane and Fraser for Sean Rigg and Doug Loft respectively .

Rigg joined Davies and Richards in the forward line as Vale switched from 4-4-2 to a more attacking 4-3-3.

Adam's gamble almost paid off immediately but Dodds's edge-of the-box volley whistled wide before Elito's wild long-range effort also missed the target.

On 80 minutes Richards could only find Brown's arms with an eight-yard header, getting on the end of an excellent cross from Collins.

Anyon went some way to redeeming himself, soon after, by turning around Thornhill's fierce 10-yard drive before Loft cleared the bar with an uncontrolled 25-yard strike.

With less than five minutes to go Elito burst forward but flashed a 16-yard shot just beyond the right-hand post before his lofted effort went wide.

Elito was sent crashing to the ground by Anyon after firing off his shot, which led to the referee waving away Cheltenham's unconvincing penalty appeal.

Cheltenham Town 1

Port Vale 1

Match stats:

Teams:

Cheltenham Town: Brown, Lescott, Townsend, Duff, Andrew, Bird, Pook, Thornhill, Elito, Almond (Alsop, 65), Richards.

Not used: Ridley, Gallinagh, Hutton, Watkins, Puddy, Hayles..

Port Vale: Anyon, Collins, McCombe, Owen, K Taylor, Haldane (Rigg, 71), Fraser (Loft, 71), Griffith, R Taylor (Dodds, 61), Richards, Davies.

Not used: Martin, Morsy, Richman, Yates.

Referee: Gavin Ward (Surrey)

Attendance: 3,503 (including 695 visitors)