Wycombe Wanderers 1, Port Vale 1.

GARETH Ainsworth’s swansong ended with honours even between his current side and one of his old ones.

The biggest cheer of the day was reserved for his 75th minute introduction from the bench as the 39-year-old played the 600th and final match of his lengthy career.

He was given a standing ovation by Wanderers fans keen to acknowledge the remarkable job he has done in the manager’s hotseat – with the point from this draw taking them up to 60, a total that looked unimaginable earlier in the campaign – and by the Port Vale supporters who voted him as one of their all time cult heroes.

Dean Morgan’s penalty opened the scoring in the first half and Blues looked set to hold on until a late equaliser from substitute Lee Hughes.

With Vale fans in party mood – knowing they were up unless they were beaten by a cricket score – and Wanderers safe the game seemed almost incidental, with Ashley Vincent’s disappointing finish from a precise through ball rising over the bar symptomatic that neither set of players were giving it 100 per cent.

Skipper Dave Winfield, making his 100th appearance for Wanderers, directed his header from Matt Spring’s corner straight into the grateful arms of visiting keeper Chris Neal and Morgan hammered well off target from distance as the game failed to spark into life early on.

More of the action was taking place off the pitch as the conga chains started around the stands among the supporters, many of whom were in fancy dress, and most of them didn’t seem to mind too much when Vincent prodded over from close range when he should have done better.

A blunder led to the game’s opening goal as Blues went in front. Neal came and failed to gather Grant’s deep cross and impeded Morgan in his efforts to stop the striker getting to the loose ball.

The referee awarded a penalty, which was confidently despatched by Morgan as he sent Neal the wrong way to notch his ninth goal of the season.

Vale responded as Blues keeper Matt Ingram turned away imposing defender John McCombe’s header from a corner before getting down low to hold on to a dipping 20 yard effort from Chris Birchall.

But the free-scoring Valiants – who had scored 86 goals in their League Two matches – were struggling to create too many clear chances as Winfield and the returning Kortney Hause formed a formidable barrier in the middle of the Wanderers defence.

There wasn’t too much to write home about from a Wycombe perspective either as Morgan’s volley from near the halfway line dropped wide with Neal in no man’s land and Charles Dunne – another who excelled in the Blues back line – glanced wide with a header from a corner.

Joel Grant snatched a shot wide and Morgan was once more off target before an excellent fingertip save from Ingram turned captain Doug Loft’s thunderous drive from outside the box over the bar.

Ainsworth made his introduction to a rapturous reception from all four sides of the ground with 15 minutes to go.

But three minutes later Vale drew level as a corner was flicked on and substitute Hughes climbed above Ingram to nod home an equaliser at the near post and prompt a mini pitch invasion from some of the 2,828 travelling supporters.

With five minutes to go he almost got his name on the scoresheet one final time as he nipped ahead of his man and jabbed Sam Wood’s cross wide of the near post.

But Vale had late chances to snatch all three points as a superb Hause tackle cut off Hughes’ path to goal and League Two’s leading scorer Tom Pope scuffed straight at Ingram in the dying embers of the game and the season – and Ainsworth’s career.

Wanderers: Ingram, McCoy, Hause, Winfield, Dunne, Andrade (sub Ainsworth), Spring, Lewis, Wood, Grant, Morgan. Substitutes not used: Harrison, Johnson, Harriman, Doherty, Morias, Kuffour.

Attendance: 7,120