Port Vale goalkeeper saves three spot-kicks as Port Vale beat Walsall in the FA Youth Cup
Goalkeeper Joe Collinge saved three spot-kicks as the Port Vale U18 side defeated old foes Walsall after a penalty shootout to progress to the second round of the FA Youth Cup.
Monday’s game took place at Walsall’s Banks stadium and the young Valiants recovered from conceding an early goal when on twenty minutes, Antonio Cristofaro beat Vale goalkeeper Joe Collinge from long-range.
The home side were reduced to ten men just minutes later when Thomas Cox was shown a red card after he fouled Kamani McFarlane on the edge of the box. The Vale came achingly close to equalising as James Plant struck the resulting free-kick against the woodwork.
Walsall still lead by a solitary goal going into the half-time break, but the Valiants recovered to level in the second-half. Ellis Jones, the teenager who made an appearance for the Vale first-team in the Football League Trophy, headed home a corner to make it 1-1.
Vale pushed for an equaliser with Plant forcing the Walsall keeper into a save and the energetic McFarlane having a number of chances foiled.
It finished 1-1 after ninety minutes and with thirty minutes of extra time having failed to produce a goal, it went to penalties. It was time for Vale keeper Joe Collinge to come to the fore by saving three of the four Walsall spot-kicks. Vale scored three of their four through Jones, McFarlane and sub Lomax to progress 3-1 on penalties.
Match stats
Port Vale: Joe Collinge, Dayo Ilori, Ellis Jones, James Plant (Ben Lomax), Festus Chale, Rhys Walters, Kamani McFarlane, Abdi Osman, Cele Filho, Durrel Manhertz, Tommy McDermott
Substitutes: Aiden Sharp, Cian McIntosh, Jack Riley, Halim Adekunde
Attendance: 358