ADI Holcombe was thrilled with the battling qualities of his Vale side after they fought for around 60 minutes with 10 men to hold the unbeaten league leaders on Tuesday evening.

Josef Hornbogen was sent off on around the half-hour mark for bringing down a Downton striker, as he raced back as the last man.

However, the visitors couldn’t capitalise on their man advantage and Pewsey went closest to a winner, with Adam Field denied from close range in the second half.

“I’d say that we looked the better side with 10 men on the pitch and if we’d stayed with 11, then we might have won it,” said Holcombe.

“It was a really physical game but we matched their physicality and the spirit we showed was great – the boys used up every last ounce of energy.

“Downton were happy to get a point and their manager said to me that we were the first team they thought would beat them this season.”

On Saturday, Pewsey clinched a vital 3-0 win at second-placed AFC Portchester, with Ricky Franklin, Jon Guthrie and Matt Bissett on target.

“We were absolutely tremendous down there and could have been three or four up by half-time,” added the Pewsey chief.

“We played a 5-3-2 with wing-backs and Portchester barely got out of their own half – we had a good away win at Horndean (4-1 in September) but this was even better.

“We got the ball down on a wet pitch and their centre-forwards barely got a kick.”

Keeper Richard Payne and Danny Kilderry are doubts for this weekend’s game.