John Yems' first home game in charge ended in a second successive goalless draw for Reds but it wasn't for the want of trying.
Both sides had great chances to score but were left frustrated by excellent performances from both Glenn Morris and Scott Brown.
Ashley Nathaniel-George and Ollie Palmer both missed great chances to score, in a promising display from the Reds.
Yems made one change for his first home game in charge of Crawley, with Ashley Nathaniel-George replacing Ashley Nadesan, meanwhile Luke Joyce, Rhys Browne and Scott Burgess all made returns for Port Vale.
It was Port Vale with the first big chance of the game when Browne weaved into the box before cutting the ball across to Tom Pope whose effort was blocked, before David Amoo saw his follow up saved well by Morris.
Crawley nearly replied in spectacular fashion when a cross was headed clear to Nathan Ferguson on the edge of the box, who sent a powerful half-volley crashing off the crossbar.
Nathaniel-George’s low cross bobbled up before finding Ferguson, who couldn’t convert. Moments later Crawley missed a great opportunity to score when Bez Lubala intercepted a Vale pass before playing in Ollie Palmer who took the ball past Brown but was thwarted by Leon Legge's clearance on the line.
And it was the Reds again who could have led on the stroke of half-time when Nathaniel-George fizzed in a dangerous low cross which Lubala just couldn’t reach.
Crawley were enjoying better chances in the second-half as well and should have scored when Lewis Young carried the ball into midfield before playing in Nathaniel-George who darted into the box with brilliant skill, but he couldn’t finish, with Brown reacting well to stop him. The Reds remained on top and Dannie Bulman couldn’t beat Brown after being played in by Lubala.
Vale also had chances of their own, with Jake Taylor's first-time shot deflected into the arms of Morris.
Lubala had a smart first-time shot saved by Brown, before Port Vale countered and Browne had a shot blocked in the box.
The chance of the match came to Crawley late on when Bulman tackled Legge before playing in Palmer who was clean through on goal, but it was another great save by Brown with his feet which denied him.
It was an end to end affair, and this time it was Vale who came close when Amoo played in Taylor, whose effort was down the throat of Morris.
Then Crawley threatened when Mason Bloomfield did well to hold the ball up before firing a low strike which was tipped away by Brown at the bottom corner.
Taylor curled a late free-kick wide for Port Vale with what was the last action of a game that ended goalless but had produced plenty of entertainment.
Crawley Town: Morris, Young, Doherty, McNerney, Grego-Cox (Bloomfield 68), Palmer, Ferguson, Nathaniel-George (Camara 84), Tunnicliffe, Bulman, Lubala
Attendance: 1944 (241 Port Vale)
Pictured: Nathan Ferguson goes close in the first half. Photo by James Boardman
