Port Vale boss Darren Moore refused to blame the officials after a Jayden Stockley header was adjudged to have not crossed the line in his side’s goalless stalemate at Bromley.
Striker Stockley appeared to have won the game for the Valiants with five minutes remaining but the effort was not given.
Moore said: “The initial reaction was it’s a difficult goal to see but I have to go with the linesman, there was a body on the line so I can understand his explanation as to why it wasn’t given.
“The pleasing thing for us was keeping the clean sheet and the fact we had a more dominant performance in the second half.”
He added: “We weren’t at the races in the first half and it was probably the worst 45 I’ve seen this season. The only positive was that it was 0-0 at half time.
“Second half I wanted more impetus and initiative, and I think they showed that.
“The point to the players was we don’t want to be coming to places like Bromley and starting so slowly. We learnt lots today but it was a better second half, we scored a goal that wasn’t given and we move forward.”
Michael Cheek saw a back-heeled flick brilliantly saved by Connor Ripley in the Port Vale goal and the keeper denied Cheek again just before the interval with a stunning one-handed save from close range.
It took the Valiants an hour to come to the party, with Antwoine Hackford and Stockley both going very close – the latter seeing a header from a corner crash against a post.
After Stockley’s header was adjudged to have not crossed the line, Ripley produced his third excellent save of the match, clawing a goalbound header from under the crossbar to ensure the game ended level.
“That was a brilliant advert for League Two and an excellent performance by my football team,” said Bromley boss Andy Woodman.
“I thought we were excellent today, we really took the game to Port Vale and were unlucky not to go in at least two goals up at half-time, but that’s why Port Vale are up there.
“They weathered the storm and because we weren’t ruthless enough we didn’t get the win.
“In the second half I thought we were still very good but we have to be honest, Port Vale had some very big moments and it could have gone either way at the end.”
