Stockport 1-1 Cardiff

Stockport 1-1 Cardiff

Thorne levelled for Cardiff City

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Stockport were forced to settle for a point after Peter Thorne snatched a late equaliser for promotion-chasing Cardiff in a draw.

Carlton Palmer's relegation-haunted side dominated for most of the game and will be disappointed not to have held on for the victory.

The visitors were lucky not to find themselves a goal down when Neil Alexander produced a breathtaking finger-tip save to deny Stockport's leading marksman Luke Beckett.

Beckett soon had the ball in the back of the net, only for Cardiff to be let off the hook as referee Phil Dowd ruled him offside.

Stockport finally delivered what they had been threatening when they took the lead through defender Peter Clark, who scored his first goal of the season when he latched onto a pass from Aaron Wilbraham to launch a left-footed volley past Alexander.

Cardiff went close to an equaliser on the hour when Graham Kavanagh's free-kick forced a clearance by Robert Clare.

Stockport were denied again by Alexander who pulled off a brilliant save with his feet to thwart Aaron Lescott.

But the visitors ensured they would be leaving with a point after Kavanagh's corner found Robert Earnshaw who laid the ball on for Thorne to head home.

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Stockport: Tidman, Lescott, Clare, Challinor, Clark, Gibb, Lambert, Goodwin, Ellison, Beckett, Wilbraham. Subs: Jones, Daly, McLachlan, Welsh, Tonkin.

Cardiff: Alexander, Weston, Young, Barker, Croft, Boland, Bonner, Kavanagh, Thorne, Earnshaw, Gordon. Subs: Mahon, Legg, Bowen, Jenkins, Margetson.

Referee: P Dowd (Staffordshire).