Morecambe boss Jim Bentley disappointed as Port Vale steal late point

Posted Sunday, December 09, 2018 by PA

Morecambe manager Jim Bentley was left raging with the officials after his side’s 2-2 League Two draw at home to Port Vale finished in controversial fashion.

Bentley was furious at a decision to allow Antony Kay’s 84th-minute goal to stand when the Vale player was offside and said it was the moment that turned the game.

The hosts were leading 2-0 as A-Jay Leitch-Smith scored against his former club before Jason Oswell headed home.

But the visitors staged a late comeback which started with Kay’s goal and Tom Pope headed a leveller, while Vale goalkeeper Scott Brown saved Leitch-Smith’s 89th-minute penalty as the spoils were shared.

Bentley said: “We were two goals up and I was feeling really comfortable. They had a lot of the ball in the second half but our keeper hadn’t had to make a save and I thought the three points were ours.

“But that decision changed everything. It wasn’t even close and Kay was one of about five players offside and how it has been allowed to stand I don’t know.

“It was a vital moment of the game because it gave them a lift when the game looked dead and buried for them.

“They had nothing to lose after that moment and with someone like Tom Pope in they always have a chance and to be fair to them they stepped it up at the end.

“The fact we missed a penalty after their second just made it all the more disappointing as we should have had three points today.”

Port Vale boss Neil Aspin admitted his players had a stroke of luck and hit back at fans who booed him after he replaced Emmanuel Oyeleke with Scott Quigley after 64 minutes.

He said: “We definitely played our get out of jail card today.

“People have said we had a bit of luck with the decision for our first goal but I haven’t seen it yet.

“If it was offside then I can say we were due a stroke of luck as we don’t get many big decisions going our way so we will take it.

“For the first 81 minutes we were nowhere near it so we have to be happy with the point.

“I know the fans weren’t happy when I took Emmanuel off because he is probably more popular than I am but Scott Quigley had a big part to play in our second goal and it’s good to see that the decision made a difference.

“I have to make the decisions and if a player is playing badly or we need to change things I will do it even if I know it won’t be popular.”