Match Analysis: Port Vale 1-2 Walsall
Get all the post-match reaction from Port Vale’s controversial Capital One defeat to Walsall with our match report, quotes and post-match stats.
The Valiants went out of the Capital One cup to local rivals Walsall after late controversy at Vale Park.
Vale named the same starting eleven and subs that faced Brentford and started well against local rivals Walsall.
Tom Pope had an effort cleared off the line before there was controversy when there was an altercation between Lalkovic and Yates.
Then Vale thought they had taken the lead through Tomlin only for the goal to be disallowed.
And despite all their first-half pressure, Vale succumbed to a sucker punch as they conceded on the brink of the interval.
A Walsall header was pushed onto the crossbar by Neal and the rebound was turned in by Westcarr.
However, it took just fifteen minutes of the second period for Vale to equalise. Chris Robertson (pictured above) headed home his first of the season from a Chris Lines’ delivery.
Minutes later, Pope hit the post as Vale pushed for a second. Then the visitors nearly took the lead but Neal pulled off a fine save in a one-on-one with Westcarr.
There was controversy in the final moments as a shocking decision by the referee failed to see Robertson fouled in the box. It was a stonewall penalty and to rub salt in Vale wounds, Walsall mounted a counter-attack and scored through Baxendale’s excellent finish.
Vale even had claims for a second penaltyin injury time as Dickinson was held back, but it was all to no avail as Walsall went through to the second round.
Vale: Neal, Yates, Robertson, Dickinson, Jones, Myrie-Williams (Hughes), Griffith (Mohammed), Lines, Loft, Tomlin (Williamson), Pope
Subs: Hughes, Williamson, Dodds, Birchall, Duffy, Johnson
Attendance: 4,013
“I thought tonight there were a few opportunities to press them high up the pitch and we were unlucky not to get a couple more goals.”
– Adam Yates
“It could have gone either way but our response to their equaliser was fantastic; we played some of our best stuff in the final 20 minutes and it was a great goal from Bax to win it.”
– Dean Smith