Cheltenham Town drew 0-0 with promotion rivals Port Vale at the Jonny-Rocks stadium in a high-temper affair in League Two.
The visitors hit the bar and were awarded a penalty by referee Scott Duncan in the first half, only for it to be overturned much to the Vale supporters dismay.
The visitors made a positive start, with a good piece of defending from Charlie Raglan cutting out a dangerous cross from David Amoo in the first minute.
The Robins came back into it five minutes later when Vale ‘keeper Scott Brown was forced to parry a dangerous ball in from Chriss Hussey away from the lurking Alfie May.
But it was Vale who came closest to opening the scoring, David Worrall crossed for Mark Cullen, whose header smacked the face of the bar with Owen Evans well beaten.
A lively start continued when May had a great chance of his own, lifting the ball over the ‘keeper with a delicate lob only for it to be cleared off the line.
May was again in with a chance of opening the scoring, after arriving at the far post to meet Sean Long’s whipped cross, but he couldn’t make contact only a few yards from goal.
The bright start fizzled out somewhat and Tom Conlon could only fire a tame effort at Evans on a dangerous counter-attack.
The Valiants thought they had a penalty when Charlie Raglan brought down Worrall with a clean tackle, and after consulting with the linesman, Scott Duncan overturned his original decision.
Cullen went close again early in the second half, but after nodding Amoo’s cross goal-bound, Evans was there to save it.
Just past the hour mark Vale missed a great chance to go in front. Conlon’s lovely ball over the top put Amoo one-on-one, but the dangerous front man saw his low drive whistle just wide of the left-hand post.
A dangerous Robins attack almost broke the deadlock late on, Broom had a shot blocked before the ball fell to May, who twisted and turned before seeing his shot roll wide for a corner.
Substitute Jonte Smith had a golden chance with five minutes to go, the ball falling to him after Will Boyle knocked it on from the corner, however the striker could only turn it wide well inside the six-yard area.
Cheltenham Town (3-5-2): Evans, Raglan, Boyle (c), Greaves; Long, Thomas (Ince, 60’), Sheaf (Doyle-Hayes, 60’), Broom, Hussey; May, Reid (Smith, 76).
Subs not used: Lovett, Debayo, Clements, Nichols.
Port Vale: (4-3-3): Brown, Gibbons, Legge (c), Smith, Clark; Burgess, Joyce, Conlon; Amoo (Browne, 78’), Cullen (Pope, 70’), Worral.
Subs not used: Maddison, Crookes, Oyeleke, Atkinson, Bennett.
Referee: Scott Duncan
Attendance: 3,741 (624 away)