Steve Shaw reports from the Galpharm Stadium

SKIPPER Marc Richards scored yet another dramatic injury-time winner to hand Vale an enthralling 4-3 FA Cup victory against the Terriers.

Vale stormed back from 3-1 down in a dramatic finale to the game and eventually claimed glory thanks to Richards's late 25-yard free-kick.

Louis Dodds gave Vale the lead near the half-hour mark, only for Michael Collins to equalise towards the end of the first half.

Vale then looked dead and buried after Ian Craney and Robbie Williams propelled them to a 3-1 lead in the second half.

But Dave Howland and Dodds appeared to salvage a replay for Vale before Richards's late show.

Striker Luke Rodgers didn't travel after revealing to The Sentinel, on Friday night, details of his proposed loan, and possible permanent move, to League One side Yeovil. The 26-year-old may have been sidelined anyway after bruising his foot earlier this week.

Glover, with seven substitutes at his disposal, made only one change to the triumphant starting 11 that battled their way to a narrow 1-0 victory at Lincoln City last week – and opted for a loose 4-5-1 formation.

Dave Brammer sat in front of Vale's back four behind central midfielders Simon Richman and Howland, while wingers Dodds and Paul Edwards took up advanced position, supporting loan striker Richards.

Former Terriers centre-half John McCombe was drafted in to make his first start since October 19, when Vale picked up one of their three away wins under Glover's leadership at Chester.

McCombe's inclusion came at the expense of the suspended Luke Prosser, who picked up a fifth booking of the season at Sincil Bank last week.

Plymouth defender Damien McCrory was completing the final game of his one-month loan spell with the Valiants.

However the Irishman's bags aren't packed just yet, with Glover confident of extending his loan – until January – early next week.

Huddersfield's caretaker boss Gerry Murphy, in place after former boss Stan Ternent left the club earlier this week, included former Crewe loanee Gary Roberts in his midfield.

Meanwhile, former Valiant Malvin Kamara was named as a substitute.

With Vale's travelling fans making almost all of the noise, against an albeit modest home support, it was Huddersfield who had the first sight on goal when midfielder Jim Goodwin's deflected shot faded away in the second minute.

Roberts threatened to break through Vale's rearguard on 10 minutes, only to be stopped in his tracks by McCombe.

The Former Alex attacker was on the march again three minutes later. This time, Valiants keeper Joe Anyon stopped his progress, meeting a long ball with an assured header to avert the danger.

Huddersfield should have taken the lead in the 16th minute after swinging the ball into the visitors' box from the right. The ball fell to Collins whose drive was brilliantly blocked by McCombe's diving challenge.

The rebound fell into the path of Phil Jevons, but the striker could only sweep his 16-yard drive wide of the right-hand post.

Possibly sensing the host's vulnerability, Glover reverted to a more traditional 4-4-2 formation on 18 minutes, sending Richman to the right flank while Dodds joined Richards up front.

However, Edwards lost possession moments later which led to McCrory giving away a free-kick on the left of Vale's box.

The resulting set-piece was met at the far post by Vale centre-half Lee Collins and Terriers left-back Robbie Williams. The ball got stuck between the two of them, allowing Anyon to pounce and collect.

The dangerous Collins drove through the centre in the 24th minute. The ball eventually found its way to Craney who fired wide of the mark from the edge of the box.

But in the 28th minute it was Vale that took the lead, thanks to a defensive howler from Huddersfield centre-half Joe Skarz. Seemingly under little pressure, Skarz miss-hit his back-pass to Terriers keeper Matt Glennon, allowing Dodds to collect the ball and run through on goal.

The 22-year-old showed admirable composure, in the right channel, to draw Glennon in, round him, before stroking his shot into to an empty net from the angle.

On the half-hour, Collins was again driving forward down the middle. He slipped the ball to the onrushing Williams who hit an unconvincing low-angled shot, although Anyon still had to be on his guard, blocking with his legs.

Huddersfield started to crank up the pressure as the half drew to a close. Collin fired another effort off in the 29th minute which flew into Anyon's arms.

A minute later and Collins gave Anyon a far test with a stinging low rasper, only to see the stopper dive to his right to palm clear, leaving right-back Anthony Griffith to mop up.

But in the closing minutes of the first-half, Huddersfield kept plying on the pressure as McCombe executed a couple of vital blocks and Richards hooked the ball clear half-a-yard from his own goal-line.

However, in the 45th minute, the Terriers equalised thanks to some tricky wing play from Roberts. The midfielder cut inside from the right, before teeing up Collins who finally saw the net bulge, caressing his 10-yard shot into the bottom left-hand corner.

Huddersfield came flying out of the traps in the second half and began to take a stranglehold on proceedings. In the 47th minute, McCombe did well to clear Collins's right-wing cross with Roberts closing in.

Murphy's men took the lead for the first time in the 51st minute. The Terriers fired in two shots from the edge of the box which were well blocked. The ball eventually found its way into the path of Craney though and he drilled the ball under Anyon after ghosting past McCombe.

Roberts fired just wide of the left-hand post on 54 minutes, before he had a shot deflected away from Anyon's goal and McCombe again produced another telling challenge to deny Collins a sight of goal.

Craney wildly blazed over in the 63rd minute, seconds before McCombe cleared a wicked right-wing ball, getting ahead of the lurking Jevons.

However, Huddersfield netted their third goal after winning a corner in the 65th minute.

Roberts floated the ball into the box and an unchallenged Williams was on hand to crash his header into the roof of the net from eight yards.

The Vale boss had already thrown striker Danny Glover and midfielder Ross Davidson into the fray on 59 minutes, replacing Richman and Edwards.

And after McCrory got injured in the build-up to Huddersfield's third goal, he was taken off for right-back Sam Stockley, which meant full-back Anthony Griffith switched to the left.

It was nearly game, set and match to Huddersfield in the 75th minute, but Collins could only slip the ball past the right-hand post, having been played through on goal.

Vale had been stretched for much of the second period but handed themselves a lifeline in the 80th minute. Richards fed the ball to Glover in the box, and when he was tackled, the ball found Howland on the edge of the box.

The Irishman then scored his second stunning goal in as many weeks, beating Glennon with an exquisite chip.

In the 84th minute, Vale's travelling fans were in heaven as the visitors launched a diagonal ball into the path of Dodds. And from a tight angle on the right he smashed his low drive beyond Glennon.

One minute into injury time, Richards capped a memorable afternoon by curling his 25-yard free-kick into the top left-hand corner.

Huddersfield Town:

Glennon, Holdsworth, Clarke, Butler, Skarz, Williams, Collins, Craney, Goodwin, Jevons (Cadamarteri, 88), Roberts.

Not used: Kamara, Lucketti, Smithies, Beckett, Broadbent, Berrett.

Port Vale:

Anyon, Griffith, McCombe, Collins, McCrory (Stockley, 67), Dodds, Brammer, Howland, Richman (Glover, 59), Edwards (Davidson), Richards.

Not used: Martin, Thompson, Lawrie, Edwards.

Referee: Graham Salisbury (Lancashire)

Attendance: 6,942