Port Vale: Valiants march on in Cup

by Steve Shaw

AN UNDER-STRENGTH Port Vale side took advantage of Stevenage Borough's sloppy defending to smash their year-long unbeaten home record and, more importantly, book their place in the FA Cup second round.

Last night's first-round replay was decided by Louis Dodds's sixth goal of campaign as he capitalised on a defensive error from Borough captain Mark Roberts.

It was the first time Borough had tasted defeat at the Lamex Stadium since November last year, while it was Vale's first victory in six matches.

Boss Micky Adams was forced to shuffle his depleted pack with injury and suspension ripping the heart out of his preferred starting line-up.

Adams's defensive ranks were hit last week when he lost the influential Gareth Owen to injury (fractured cheek bone), while fellow centre-half Luke Prosser served a one-match ban.

Twenty-one-year-old Prosser picked up the suspension after being sent off during Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by league rivals Rotherham.

Despite only having two senior centre-halves at his disposal – Lee Collins and John McCombe – Adams refused to dispense with his three-man centre-back defensive system.

Instead of switching to a back four for the first time this season, Adams opted to switch Kris Taylor to centre-half while his left wing-back berth was filled by the recalled Rob Taylor.

Meanwhile, skipper Tommy Fraser picked up his fifth booking of the season against Rotherham, which meant the 21-year-old was also suspended.

Fraser still travelled with the squad, though, and braced himself for a frosty reception from the home crowd.

Fraser branded Borough's attitude as "cocky" when they secured a 1-1 draw in the tie's original game 10 days ago.

Fraser was replaced by central midfielder Doug Loft, who was making his first appearance since the home stalemate with Bournemouth on October 3.

With Griffith on defensive duty, Jason Jarrett also earned a recall in central midfield.

The prize on offer at the Lamex stadium was a second-round home tie against League One side Huddersfield Town.

So it was no surprise that Terriers boss Lee Clark and his assistant, Terry McDermott, were among the interested observers peering down from the stands.

And the duo watched on as Borough went straight on the attack with Yemi Odubade storming down the left inside three minutes.

The striker cut inside Kris Taylor before angling in a wicked looping effort which had to be tipped over by back-tracking Vale keeper Chris Martin.

Borough skipper Roberts missed the target with an eight-yard header from the resulting corner.

The home crowd unleashed an unprintable anti-Fraser song on eight minutes, as Borough sporadically pushed forward with pace and purpose.

Winger Mitchell Cole, who posed problems for Vale in the original tie, stretched his legs down the left, but Martin comfortably collected his centre.

Spearheading Vale's three-man attack was Marc Richards, with Dodds and loan striker Lewis Haldane either side.

On 14 minutes, Haldane raced on to a long diagonal pass, but after out-sprinting centre-half Jon Ashton, he volleyed over from the edge of the box.

Borough instantly responded when striker Charlie Griffin dragged wide after finding space 16 yards from goal.

Vale began to settle down midway through the first period, and went ahead in the 24th minute when they launched the ball from deep.

Roberts's weak headed back-pass was pounced upon by Dodds, whose initial close-range shot, from the left channel, was blocked by keeper Chris Day.

But when the ball bounced up off Day's body and invitingly hung in the air, Dodds made no mistake in nodding home the rebound into the far right-hand corner.

At the other end of the pitch Vale's new-look defence looked generally competent up against the pacy Odubade and Griffin.

Just after the half-hour mark Kris Taylor showed good positional sense to snuff out Odubade's 16-yard effort before Jarrett blazed over from distance.

"It's all gone quiet over there," the travelling support chanted at the home crowd as Vale succeeded in reducing them to a frustrated silence. But towards the end of the first period their spirits were lifted when they threatened Martin's goal with two headers.

Ashton's eight-yard header, meeting Andy Drury's cross, drifted wide of the right-hand post, before Griffin headed over from a Ronnie Henry delivery.

Vale went on the offensive at the start of the second half before they enjoyed a couple of major let-offs.

On 52 minutes, Griffin received the ball in the right channel from where the striker rifled a low drive beyond the far left-hand post.

Borough went even closer to levelling two minutes later when Odubade set Cole free in the opposite channel.

Cole looked certain to score, but his careful angled side-footer across Martin came back off the far right-hand post allowing Vale to clear.

From the resulting corner Michael Bostwick headed over before Jarrett misfired from distance at the other end.

Stevenage were enjoying their best period of sustained pressure in the contest, but the Valiants stood firm.

Vale continued to soak up the pressure, although Haldane's lung-busting down the left in the 75th minute offered some respite.

After Jarrett was replaced by Dave Howland, Borough were almost handed a gift when Collins's hesitancy let in Odubade.

An onrushing Griffin was inches away from converting Odubade's cross, from the right side of the box, at the near post.

Rob Taylor found himself in an advanced position in the 84th minute when Haldane fed him the ball.

The wing-back burst forward and cut inside before hammering a 16-yard shot over the bar.

The late onslaught never arrived from the hosts, although substitute Darren Murphy should have hit the target when he flashed a 16-yard drive inches wide with two minutes to go.

After striker Danny Glover replaced Haldane in injury-time, Dodds missed the target with another shot from distance.

And in the end Vale sent their loyal band of supporters back to Burslem with smiles on their faces, leaving messrs Clark and McDermott plenty to ponder.