Port Vale vs Brentford: As It Happened
The FA Cup is a wonderful competition, and many fans of football in England will share the same sentiment. This is because it allows the lowest league and even non-league teams in England to compete with the best the country has to offer, which always presents an opportunity for players who want to prove themselves by coming out with a shock result.
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There are some wonders that did happen in the third round. For example, Boreham Wood managed to beat AFC Wimbledon 2-0 on Saturday, and given the league difference between the two sides, to say it was a shock would have been an understatement. The same story can be seen in the Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal game, where the top-flight sight was knocked out by the Tricky Trees. These kinds of games weren’t the story the whole round though, something that many Port Vale fans would have been disappointed about.
Port Vale is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent and currently compete in League Two in English football. As they were playing host to Brentford, a side that competes in the Premier League, many fans were hoping that Port Vale could do something along the lines of what Borehamwood or Nottingham Forest managed to do. Despite putting up a valiant effort though, it was not enough on the night and the Bees managed to dispatch Port Vale comfortably.
It began with Marcus Forss as he put Brentford in the lead thanks to Mads Bidstrup’s pass. This followed Brentford controlling the game comfortably, and everyone who was watching could tell the goal was a matter of when, not if. Unable to respond to going down by one goal, Port Vale allowed Bryan Mbeumo to slot the ball into the back of the net after an incisive through pass to cut through the opposition. This occurred in the second half, and the game seemed to be decided already before Kian Harratt gave his team a glimmer of hope with an outstanding header with 20 minutes left on the clock.
On another night, perhaps Port Vale would have scored again and equalised the match, but this wasn’t to be. Despite hitting Brentford’s goal post, the Bees managed to initiate a counterattack where Mbeumo hit Vale’s approach – but this time the ball went in. As if to rub salt in the wound, Brentford was also granted a late penalty where Mbeumo hammered it home to earn a career first hattrick and see Vale knocked out of the FA Cup.
Despite the disappointing loss, there are some positives to take away. While Port Vale’s first-half performance was dire, the attempted comeback in the second half demonstrated the team’s conviction. Goalscorer Harratt will also be pleased to bag a goal on his debut for his club too.
The FA Cup remains an exciting competition where anything can happen, regardless of the matchup. All eyes will now be on the next round thanks to some interesting draws made over the weekend.