John Coleman likened Stanley's visit to partisan Port Vale to the task of trying to win a boxing match as an away fighter in Mexico.

The Reds led when Aaron Pressley converted from the spot after 52 minutes but David Worrall levelled with a deflected strike into the bottom corner five minutes later and the Sky Bet League One contest finished 1-1.

Vale thought they had turned the scoreline on its head when Nathan Smith bundled home after Harvey Rodgers tipped Ben Garrity’s header onto the crossbar. But referee Ben Speedie opted to point to the spot and dismiss centre-half Rodgers.

“The lads showed a lot of character, we worked hard and it wasn’t pretty, we were down to the bare bones,” said Coleman, whose team have won twice in 16 League One fixtures.

“I was disappointed to take the lead then relinquish it, then they came on strong.

“It was a bit unfortunate for them with the penalty, a second later it is a goal, so it is a little bit unfair on them.

“At times it was like coming to Mexico to try to win a boxing match. It reminded me of going to Blyth Spartans, the crowd can have so much influence. The referee had to stand firm, the crowd got animated over little things. Thankfully, our players kept their heads.

“But it is only a point and we need more than that in the coming weeks.

“When you are going through hell, the secret is to keep going. You don’t stay there and burn, you get out the other side. The lads showed character and, hopefully, they will show more of it on Saturday.”