Goalkeeper Connor Ripley was the Port Vale hero as he saved a late penalty from Fejiri Okenabirhie to earn his side a 1-1 draw at Cambridge.

Ripley dived to his right to block Okenabirhie’s weak 90th-minute spot-kick, awarded after Jack Lankester had been fouled by Nathan Smith.

Okenabirhie had come off the bench to equalise for the U’s, who trailed to Ben Garrity’s first-half strike.

Garrity opened the scoring in the 20th minute with a neat finish after a fine through ball from Ethan Chislett.

Cambridge’s Sullay Kaikai was then denied by Ripley, who tipped away his header from Danny Andrew’s cross in the 30th minute.

After the interval Andrew hit a post for the home side before Okenabirhie joined the action and headed in the equaliser from fellow substitute John-Kymani Gordon’s cross in the 66th minute.

The striker then had the chance to make himself the hero, but he was foiled by Ripley as the game ended level.