Darren Moore wants Port Vale to learn their lesson after Colchester draw

Port Vale manager Darren Moore has called on his side to learn their lesson after conceding a late goal to draw 1-1 with Colchester.

Defender Jesse Debrah came off the bench to put the Valiants in front early in the second half, but it was cancelled out by Samson Tovide in the 90th minute.

Another Vale substitute, Lorent Tolaj, had a goal ruled out for offside just before the equaliser and Moore was left to rue a missed opportunity.

“I think that’s probably the most disappointing and frustrating thing really, that we’ve not come away with three points tonight,” he said.

“I thought we were dominant in the game.

“Obviously you’ve got to look at Colchester – they came to try to make it really hard for us.

“I thought tonight what we saw was the versatility of the squad in terms of how we can flip things in a certain way if a game’s not going our way.

“We’ve got the ability with the players [we’ve got] that we can change it, and I thought in the second half we got the upper hand, we got the goal.

“I thought we’d scored a second one but it got ruled out for offside and then it’s just a matter of keeping concentration and doing your jobs.

“So for the goal to come against us as late as it did in the game, it’s a bit frustrating.

“We feel it’s two points dropped.

“As I said to the boys in there, be disappointed with the goal but let’s learn from it.”

The result sees Vale drop two places to seventh having extended their unbeaten run in League Two to five matches, while Colchester remain in 15th spot.

U’s boss Danny Cowley was pleased with his team’s response to a 4-0 defeat away at Walsall on Saturday.

“We were questioned after the weekend, but I thought we answered it in a positive way,” he said.

“I thought it was a really resilient, determined and gritty performance.

“I think in the first half, credit to us because they didn’t have a shot on goal.

“I thought that was for the way we competed and the way that we defended, and carried a threat on the counter attack.

“I think when we did get in good areas, they fouled tactically and were intelligent in that so we couldn’t quite turn those counters into more.

“But for them to have to make three changes at half-time, I think it was credit to our first-half performance.

“They changed their shape with the 4-2-3-1.

“They had a goal come from the first attempt on target and it comes from a corner.

“I think it’s the first set piece we’ve conceded this season – we’re disappointed with that.

“But I thought our response off the back of conceding that was brilliant.”