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Port Vale Youth Team boss Mick Ede has said his players must learn from their mistakes after they drew 1-1 with Tranmere Rovers.
After a goalless first-half, the Valiants took the lead in the 68th minute, courtesy of Charlie Raglan’s glancing header.
But they were made to rue a number of missed chances as Tranmere substitute Jordan Holmes levelled the score with seven minutes remaining.
“We went for another goal instead of protecting what we had”, said Ede.
“We were in charge of the game but it is one of those things the lads must learn from for the development of the whole side.
“Over the 90 minutes it was a fair result, we had the better chances in the first half but they deserved something out of the game based on the last 15-20 minutes.”
On a greasy surface it was Vale who adapted to the conditions quicker and almost opened the scoring on five minutes when Jack McGowan’s shot was superbly blocked.
Five minutes later Vale were denied by a second goal line block as Ryan Lloyd’s corner met Kristian Cox’s head, but his effort hit Tranmere’s Mark Beech before being cleared.
There was more controversy on 15 minutes when Cox’s second headed effort did find the back of the net but Vale’s celebrations were short lived, after being judged offside.
Tranmere were nearly gifted a goal on 25 minutes as Vale keeper Sam Johnson mis-kicked a bobbling pass-back and watched the ball trickle past him onto the post.
This scare sparked Vale back into life and on 34 minutes Cox was again in the action. McGowan picked up a long ball and squared it to Cox, who fired his shot over the bar.
Tranmere finished the first-half strongly and with identical moves blasted over twice from 20 yards.
Vale started the second-half brightly and came close on 55 minutes. Lloyd’s corner met Joseph Davis’s head but the ball fizzed narrowly over the bar.
Tranmere’s substitution on 59 minutes was nearly an inspired one as Jordan Holmes broke the offside trap and with his first touch slid his shot wide of the right-hand post.
A minute later Tranmere were on the attack again, as Cole Stockton rounded Johnson, but Raglan was on hand to clear the ball from an open goal.
On 68 minutes Lloyd’s inswinging free kick found Raglan’s head as the ball skimmed past the Tranmere keeper into the bottom left-hand side of the goal.
Tranmere pressed and were rewarded for their efforts seven minutes from time when a neat flick-on fell to Jake Kirby. His shot was blocked but fell straight to Holmes’s feet and he guided the ball in from close range.
Vale could have secured all three points in the 87th minute. Liam Rice’s free-kick found Andrew Bratt at the back post, but his header was straight at Andy Coughlin in the Tranmere goal.
Vale will face Chesterfield in the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday night. Kick-off is 7.00pm.
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