Port Vale 0-0 QPR

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Gutsy QPR held firm for a richly deserved point with Port Vale - despite the first-half sending-off of goalkeeper Simon Royce.

Vale had pressed without seriously threatening before Royce's dismissal eight minutes before the break.

He could only have been inches outside his area when he handled the ball as Billy Paynter chased a pass from Liam Burns. But the linesman raised his flag to leave referee Alan Butler with no alternative.

Veteran Fraser Digby came off the bench to take over in goal, with Gino Padula withdrawn as Rangers reorganised their 10 men.

But Vale struggled to carve out any real chances and it was home goalkeeper Mark Goodlad who was forced into the first save of note in the 63rd minute.

A big clearance by Digby skidded off the head of Vale defender Burns and it required a Goodlad tip-over to save his team-mates' blushes.

Rangers again came close to bagging all three points in stoppage time when Goodlad plunged to his right to keep out a shot from Matthew Rose.

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Port Vale: Goodlad, Brightwell, Burns, Collins, Carragher, Cummins, Bridge-Wilkinson, Durnin, Rowland, Paynter, McPhee. Subs: Delaney, McClare, Boyd, Armstrong, Birchall.

QPR: Royce, Forbes, Carlisle, Shittu, Padula, Williams, Langley, Palmer, Rose, Thomson, Oli. Subs: Bircham, Doudou, Burgess, Griffiths, Digby.

Referee: A Butler (Nottinghamshire)