91Èȱ¬

Shrewsbury Town had to settle for a point in their bid for League One survival as the derby clash with Port Vale ended goalless.

After a first half devoid of incident, other than Vale's Tom Pope going off with a neck injury, Town were just about the better side after the break.

But it took until 78 minutes for Town right-back Ryan Woods to unleash the game's only effort on target.

Vale's only worthwhile opening came in a late scramble.

Urgently needing a win, Shrewsbury caretaker manager Mike Jackson made a bold five changes for the last home game of his allotted time at the helm.

He dropped keeper Chris Weale, bringing in Joe Anyon for his first league start of the season, as well as switching to a three-man central defence.

But, although that succeeded in shoring up the home defence, earning a first clean sheet in three months, nothing much clicked at the other end.

Connor Goldson powered a header just over, Asa Hall was also just too high with a 25-yarder and on-loan substitute Tom Eaves headed wide from a corner.

Shrewsbury Town caretaker manager Mike Jackson told 91Èȱ¬ Radio Shropshire:

"On the chances created, we edged it. We had some good spells, but we did not pick the right pass in the final third, which has been the problem most of the season.

"Before I took over we'd lost six home games on the spin. Now we've drawn our last two here. That could turn out to be the most important point of the season.

"We have to take a bit of belief from this. A clean sheet and another home point are encouraging signs from how we were when I walked though the door.

"I had to tell five people that they weren't playing today and I don't like it. I didn't like it when it happened to me as a player. Now it's about how they react."

Port Vale manager Micky Adams told 91Èȱ¬ Radio Stoke:

"We came here with the intention of trying to get three points and obviously it's not worked out like that, but we defended manfully and it's back-to-back clean sheets for us.

"I was a little bit surprised by their formation. But it's up to us to break them down and we didn't have the right composure in the final third to break them down.

"Tom Pope woke up with a stiff neck and the first header he went for he got caught and he was struggling from then on.

"They're fighting for their lives and it's all right them beating their chests and saying they've got to stand up and be counted, but they need goals and I think a point has suited us more than it suited them."