Port Vale 0-2 Bradford City: the Valiants exited their second cup campaign of the week after they lost their Johnstone’s Paints Northern Area Quarter Final game against Bradford City.
Vale made five changes. Pope, Duffy and Burge were all suspended and replaced by full debutants Andrew and Sean McAllister plus fit-again skipper Doug Loft.
Clayton McDonald who was an injury doubt for the Sheff Utd game was rested in favour of Liam Chilvers and Sam Morsy came in for Kingsley James.
The game struggled to come to life, probably due to the number of changes made by the Vale.
The Valiants forced a succession of corners but the best chances of the first half were a header by Andrew in the opening minutes and a long-range shot by Myrie-Williams just before the break.
And it was the visitors who took the lead when midfielder Ricky Jones tapped the ball home from Thompson’s cross just after the break.
Then Vale were denied what looked to be a certain penalty when Myrie-Williams appeared to be blatantly fouled in the penalty area. But to general amazement, the referee didn’t give the spot-kick.
And the visitors rubbed salt into Vale’s wound by doubling their lead moments later through Forsyth with Thompson again supplying the cross.
Vale responded with a double substitution and Myrie-Williams forced a good save out of the Bradford keeper. But there was to be no dramatic Vale comeback as they exited their final cup competition of the season.
Full-time: Port Vale 0-2 Bradford City
Vale: Neal, Yates, McCombe, Chilvers, Loft, Myrie-Williams, Morsy, McAllister (Shuker), Vincent, Williamson (Dodds), Andrew (Taylor)
Subs: Davis, Lloyd
Some are won and some are lost but Vale seem a good team and good teams get rewards in the long term, those rewards probably including promotion this year.
Nice too that 1VF and Rob still fly the flag. A site to be proud of.