Shrewsbury Town 1-1 Port Vale: Sullay Kaikai secures point for hosts

Sullay Kaikai's 10th goal of the season helped Shrewsbury stretch their unbeaten run in Sky Bet League 1 to nine games after he hit a fine equaliser in a 1-1 draw with play-off hopefuls Port Vale.

Vale carried the greater threat in a goalless first half, with Shrewsbury goalkeeper Mark Halstead making two fine saves.

Halstead dived to his left to block an early Ryan Inniss header after the Vale defender met a corner from Michael O'Connor.

Then midfielder O'Connor tried his luck with a well-struck 25-yard half volley which Halstead did well to flick over the bar.

JJ Hooper, O'Connor and skipper Carl Dickinson also blazed off target for Rob Page's side.

Richie Wellens went closest for Shrewsbury in the first period when his clever chip drifted narrowly wide before Nat Knight-Percival's volley was saved by Vale keeper Jak Alnwick as the hosts chased a breakthrough.

Vale took the lead on the hour when Louis Dodds headed in off the underside of the bar from six yards after Hooper nodded on a Dickinson cross from the left.

Shaun Whalley then saw a close-range effort superbly blocked by Vale defender Ben Purkiss before Shrewsbury struck a high-quality equaliser in the 73rd minute.

Kaikai, on loan from Crystal Palace, cut in from the right and cracked a brilliant left-footed shot from 20 yards to the far corner of the net.

Shrewsbury were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time when skipper Knight-Percival was sent off for shoving Dodds, but Micky Mellon's men still managed to pick up another hard-earned point.