Burton Albion showed real grit at Vale Park, clawing their way back on two occasions to earn a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Port Vale in a lively League One encounter on Saturday afternoon.
Uganda Cranes defender Toby Sibbick was introduced in the 70th minute as head coach Dino Maamria sought to tighten things up at the back. The defender replaced Terence Vancooten, who had already gone into the referee’s book earlier in the contest, with Burton reshuffling their defensive shape for the nervy final stretch of the game. Sibbick’s composure proved vital as both sides went hunting for a late winner.
Port Vale burst out of the blocks and struck first through Ethon Archer, who curled home a superbly taken free-kick to ignite the home crowd. Burton, however, responded with purpose and found their way back into the contest when Jake Beesley glanced in a clever header from a corner to restore parity.
The hosts regained the initiative before the interval, with Ben Waine applying the finishing touch to put Vale back in front at the break. Yet Burton refused to wilt. Just minutes after the restart, Beesley popped up again, timing his run perfectly to nod in his second of the afternoon and draw the visitors level once more.
Taking a point back to East Staffordshire.#TheBrewers pic.twitter.com/5wQtiw9mw9
— Burton Albion FC (@burtonalbionfc) February 7, 2026
The closing stages turned frantic. Burton came agonisingly close to snatching all three points, rattling the woodwork twice, while Port Vale also fashioned late openings as the match opened up. In the end, neither side could land the decisive blow, and the points were shared after a breathless finale.
The result leaves Burton Albion hovering just above the drop zone in 21st place with 32 points from 30 matches, while Port Vale remain rooted to the bottom of the League One table on 22 points.
