Cheltenham Town 1 Port Vale 1
Cheltenham Town were pegged back by promotion rivals Port Vale and had to settle for a point at the Abbey Business Stadium this afternoon.
Darren Carter's fifth goal of the season gave Mark Yates' side a deserved lead in the 62nd minute, but Louis Dodds levelled for the visitors five minutes later to leave honours even.
Cheltenham played well and were the better side for most of the 90 minutes, but they missed out on the chance to leapfrog their opponents into second place behind leaders Gillingham.
Yates made one change to the side that beat Hereford United after extra-time in the FA Cup second round on Tuesday evening, with Marlon Pack replacing Jermaine McGlashan.
That mean a right midfield role for Russ Penn, with Jake Taylor on the other side and Pack alongside Carter in the middle.
The formation worked well, with Penn prominent and Cheltenham carving out some good opportunities in the first period.
Penn's cross reached Zebroski at the far post in the 22nd minute, but he could not direct his header towards goal.
Vale broke quickly and Scott Brown saved former Robins winger Ashley Vincent's shot.
Goalkeeper Chris Neal denied Carter in the 29th minute and Zebroski was guilty of missing another good chance before half-time.
Billy Jones' corner was met by Taylor who drove it towards Zebroski and he could only slice it harmlessly wide from six yards.
Jones crashed a shot against the angle of bar and post in the 48th minute, going so close to his first Cheltenham goal.
Pack's header from Jones' corner was cleared off the line by Doug Loft and Neal saved well from Steve Elliott.
Penn hit one narrowly wide before cutting inside and setting up Taylor for a header that was brilliantly saved by Neal.
But Zebroski's pull-back towards Shaun Harrad was cleared as far as Carter, who made no mistake with his second right footed goal in successive Saturdays.
Dodds levelled when Loft's cross reached an unmarked Pope whose header was well saved by Brown, but the loose ball was fired into the net.
Cheltenham looked the more likely winners, with Pack trying his luck from close to the halfway line, but Cheltenham-born Ryan Burge forced Brown into a save after a mistake from Sido Jombati.
Substitute Darryl Duffy should have won it at the death, but his weak shot towards an empty net was cleared off the line by Chris Shuker and Vale returned north with a point.
Cheltenham Town: Brown; Jombati, Bennett, Elliott, Jones; Penn (McGlashan 75), Pack, Carter, Taylor (Goulding 89); Harrad (D Duffy 75), Zebroski. Subs not used: Lowe, Deering, Roberts, D'Ath
Port Vale: Neal; R Duffy, McCombe, Chilvers, Loft; Vincent (Williamson 82), Morsy, Burge, Taylor (Shuker 87); Pope, Dodds (Andrew 90). Subs not used: Yates, Johnson, Andrew, James, McDonald.
Referee: M Haywood.
Attendance: 3,760 (331 away).
Star Man: Russ Penn.
To relive the action as it unfolded, click below:
