Rough justice for Latics

Photo: Pictures by ALAN HOWARTH

UP FOR THE BATTLE: Athletic’s Danny Philliskirk gets stuck in.

2 More Image(s) In Gallery

Athletic 1, Port Vale 1

THE only thing missing from Latics here was one of those players who can score goals regularly...

Port Vale had one - Tom Pope, who netted after only eight minutes with a classic centre-forward's header, his fifth goal in four games.

Three days earlier, Leyton Orient had one in Darius Henderson - though in his case one reckoned to be getting paid five figures a week for his work.

Athletic didn't, and don't, have one. Jonson Clarke-Harris, bless his socks, made a mess of his golden chance at the end of the first half in a contest in which Athletic were purposeful enough to be worth the three points.

Instead, thanks to the forehead of centre-back James Wilson in the second half, the take was just one point - which came as a relief to Vale boss Micky Adams, whose side had until last night been in terrific form.

“To a degree, we got out of jail,” admitted Adams, who had recently seen his men hit six past Hartlepool and three past Doncaster.

“They really got after us after the defeat on Saturday and came out all guns blazing,” said Adams..

“They didn't give our better players any time on the ball. You have to give Oldham credit for the way they performed.”

Clarke-Harris was good here: using his bulk and powerful stride to great effect. But in the absence of a new focal point for the attack he needs to convert the sort of chance he missed.

The build-up was gorgeous. Liam Kelly exchanged passes with a rejuvenated Danny Philliskirk, hit a ball to the far post and left Athletic's number 14 with a tap-in. It struck a defender and went for a corner.

Athletic had been the better side for the half. One lapse in the eighth minute resulted in the Vale goal.

That threatened to knock the stuffing out of an Athletic team smarting from the weekend’s 3-1 loss to Orient.

But the team stuck to its principles. Passing was crisp while three-goal Jonathan Forte looked menacing on the left flank.

Philliskirk and Forte also had shots blocked inside the box and Kelly's daisy-cutter was saved low by Vale’s Sam Johnson.

Athletic were on the front foot once more as the second half began. It was all Athletic – without too much end product.

Then came the equaliser, 64 minutes in, as Wilson arrived at pace at the near post to flick in an inswinging Jones corner with his head. It was a second goal in Athletic colours for the impressive Wales international.

Vale might have been handed a penalty shortly afterwards, but referee Kevin Wright awarded a free-kick for a foul by Connor Brown on Pope that was barely apparent. The set-piece was wasted, but another goal for the visitors would have been cruelty itself.

Athletic was the better team by a distance, and Philliskirk almost proved the point on the scoresheet with a header tipped over the top by Johnson.

A win just wasn't quite to be.