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          2017-18 English League Two, Regular Season
          Mansfield Town Mansfield Town MANS
          1
          FT
          1
          Port Vale Port Vale VALE
          • Kyle Howkins (73' OG)
          • Tom Pope (89')

          Pope salvages a point for Port Vale to dent Mansfield play-off hopes

          Apr 21, 2018
          • PA Sport

          Mansfield Town's play-off hopes were rocked by a late Tom Pope equaliser as visiting Port Vale stole a 1-1 draw.
          The Stags had dominated and looked set to take the points thanks to an own goal by Kyle Howkins after 72 minutes.
          But Pope was on hand to head home from six yards from Dan Turner's cross from the right in a late sting in the tail.
          Mansfield had kept Vale keeper Sam Hornby busy all afternoon.
          But he was finally beaten as former Stags loanee Howkins could do little about a misdirected clearance from team-mate Charlie Raglan striking him and rolling over the line.
          Vale began the game on the front foot and veteran Michael Tongue was not too far over with an effort from 20 yards.
          But the home side found their feet and Hornby denied Alex MacDonald, Danny Rose and Mal Benning as a tight half ended goalless.
          Alfie Potter and Rose both wasted great chances to break the deadlock after the break, Potter scuffing wide from seven yards and Rose heading over from six yards.
          Those chances came back to haunt them when Pope struck his late blow.

          English League Two Standings

          POS Team GP GD PTS
          1 Cambridge United 25 +15 42
          2 Forest Green Rovers 24 +9 41
          3 Newport County 23 +9 40
          4 Carlisle United 21 +12 39
          5 Salford City 24 +12 38
          6 Morecambe 23 -2 38
          7 Cheltenham Town 23 +9 37
          8 Exeter City 22 +16 36
          9 Leyton Orient 24 +7 36
          10 Tranmere Rovers 23 0 35
          11 Walsall 25 -1 35
          12 Crawley Town 22 +6 34
          13 Mansfield Town 24 +2 32
          14 Oldham Athletic 24 -4 31
          15 Colchester United 23 -5 30
          16 Port Vale 25 -3 29
          17 Bolton Wanderers 24 -9 28
          18 Harrogate Town 23 -4 27
          19 Scunthorpe United 24 -9 26
          20 Bradford City 22 -5 25
          21 Barrow 23 -2 23
          22 Stevenage 22 -8 21
          23 Grimsby Town 25 -24 21
          24 Southend United 24 -21 20