SUPER-SUB Sean Rigg kept Vale's play-off dream alive by netting his side's equaliser in this afternoon's 1-1 home draw with play-off rivals Aldershot Town.

The Valiants looked to be heading for only their second defeat in their last seven games when Shots attacker Dean Morgan opened the scoring just after the hour-mark.

But not long after Rigg earned Vale a share of the spoils by scoring his third goal for the club.

Valiants boss Micky Adams named the same starting line-up that swept to a 3-1 home win over Dagenham and Redbridge on Easter Monday.

However, number two keeper Joe Anyon was missing with a thigh injury, which meant Daniel Lloyd-Weston was drafted onto the bench.

Meanwhile, youth-team midfielder Sam Morsy came into the squad at the expense of Simon Richman.

Adams took his place in the dug-out two days after his father, Keith, passed away.

Before kick-off the crowd observed a minute's applause to mark the passing of former Vale forward Stan Smith who was a member of the team that reached the FA Cup semi-final in the 1953-54 season.

Both sides created chances in the opening stages without creating a chance of note.

Vale gradually gained the upper hand with Lewis Haldane making his presence felt down the right.

And, on eight minutes, the winger whistled a 20-yard volley wide of the right-hand post.

A quick one-two between Marc Richards and fellow striker Craig Davies resulted in the former breaking clear, before Richards was pulled up for off-side.

More Vale pressure led to them winning a 12th-minute corner, taken by Tommy Fraser on the right.

The skipper's excellent delivery into the heart of the box was met by Richards whose powerful eight-yard header cleared the bar.

On 15 minutes Haldane went on the rampage before going to ground under a challenge from Shots left-back Anthony Straker.

However, referee Dean Whitestone waved away Haldane's vociferous appeals for a free-kick.

Two minutes later, Scott Donnelly swung over a set-piece from deep on the right.

But Vale defender Gareth Owen was on hand to clear from almost under the crossbar, with striker Marvin Morgan breathing down his neck.

Donnelly had seen plenty of possession, and on 19 minutes, hit a weak 25-yard shot that drifted wide.

Valiants keeper Chris Martin endured a moment to forget in the 24th minute when he botched his kick trying to clear Lee Collins's back-pass.

The ball eventually landed at the feet of Morgan and then Oliver Bozanic whose right-flank centre amounted to nothing.

On 26 minutes Richards expertly angled a header into the path of Louis Dodds but the winger failed to test Shots keeper Jamie Young with a tame 16-yarder.

The visitors supplied more of an attacking threat as the half wore on, with Dean Morgan curling a 14-yard effort just wide of the far right-hand post on 28 minutes.

Moments later, Marvin Morgan latched onto a low through ball, but the striker could only blaze over from 10 yards as John McCombe distracted him with a committed sliding challenge.

A Bozanic set-piece, from the right, led to centre-back Aaron Brown testing Martin with a well-directed header from 10 yards.

But the young stopper was up to the challenge as he dived to his left to palm the ball to safety.

Brown missed the target with another header soon after.

Three minutes before the break Collins earned the game's first booking for hauling down the rampaging Marlon Jackson 25 yards from Vale's goal.

But Vale's defensive wall comfortably blocked the resulting set-piece taken by full-back Ben Herd.

In first-half injury-time Marvin Morgan powered inside from the right and past Collins, but the forward's strike was blocked by Owen.

Adams blinked first by bringing on central midfielder Doug Loft for Fraser at the start of the second half.

But his side suffered a scare, on 49 minutes, when Collins produced an excellent block to deny Dean Morgan's well-struck low drive from the edge of the box.

The ball fell to midfielder Ben Harding who snatched at his shot sending it over from similar range.

But Vale got back on the front foot with Dodds, meeting Haldane's right-wing cross, volleying wide from 16 yards.

On 54 minutes Martin clawed the ball away from the advancing Donnelly, as the Aldershot travelling support, as much in hope, appealed for a penalty.

Adams shuffled his pack with a double substitution just before the hour mark as he unleashed attackers Rob Taylor and Rigg at the expense of Haldane and striker Craig Davies.

Just after, Shots defender David Winfield headed wide from six yards from a right-flank corner, before the visitors took a 63rd minute lead.

Dean Morgan raced onto a through ball before out-stripping Owen, side-stepping Martin and angling the ball into the roof of the net from eight yards.

Vale pressed forward but were unable to make the breakthrough.

On 68 minutes, Straker fed Marvin Morgan but his 20-yard grass-cutter was collected by Martin at the second attempt before Bozanic sailed a volley from 20 yards.

But Vale levelled on 72 minutes when Richards set Rigg free in the right-hand channel. The loan striker cut inside before angling his shot just inside the far left-hand post.

Bedlam ensued in the 81st minute when Collins surged past Herd on the right. The full-back crossed to the far post where Richards smashed a goal-bound volley that was cleared off the line by Shots substitute Louie Soares.

There was more than a hint of handball about Soares's clearance but Whitestone wasn't interested. The ball then fell to Richards whose angled drive went past the post.

The Shots eventually broke clear with Dean Morgan crashing a 12-yard effort against the near right-hand post.

Match stats:

Teams:

Port Vale: Martin, Yates, Owen, McCombe, Collins, Haldane (R Taylor, 59), Fraser (Loft, 46), Griffith, Dodds, Richards, Davies, (Rigg, 59).

Not used: Lloyd-Weston, Morsy, K Taylor, Molyneux.

Aldershot Town: Young, Herd (Blackburn, 85), Brown, Winfield, Straker, Jackson, Donnelly (Soares, 79), Harding, Bozanic, D Morgan, M Morgan (Spencer, 87).

Not used: Jaimez Ruiz, Howell, Hylton, Hudson.

Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northampton)

Attendance: 5,399 (including 583 visitors)

STEVE SHAW