Vale have been drawn to play Darren Moore’s former club Doncaster Rovers in the last 32 of the 2024/2025 English Football League Trophy, with the high-flying Valiants potentially eyeing a record.
A record to emulate
Vale are two-times winners of the English Football League Trophy, now known as the Vertu Trophy for sponsorship reasons. The club first tasted glory in this competition back in 1992/93. A second triumph was recorded in 2000/01. And if the club were to add to that success this time round, it would mean the Valiants holding the joint record for successes in the EFL Trophy – only Bristol City have won the trophy more with their three victories.
Progress so far
In what has been a good season for Moore’s side so far, Vale progressed through their EFL Trophy Northern Section Group B after finishing second in the four-team mini-league. The campaign started with an impressive 2-0 away win at Salford thanks to goals from Diamond Edwards and Ruari Paton. Vale then followed up that success with two victories via penalty shootout. The first was over Wolverhampton Wanderers U21s after a 2-2 draw in normal time. Lorent Tolaj and Ronan Curtis were the scorers at Vale Park, with the home team then triumphing 5-4 on penalties. High-profile Wrexham then visited in mid-November. On loan Aston Villa and former England U18 midfielder Rico Richards scored in a 1-1 draw before Vale once again claimed victory via a shootout, this time triumphing by three goals to one. Wrexham had still done enough to claim top spot in the group, but with Vale having had previous penalty success against Doncaster Rovers in this very competition, the omens are good for future progress. Indeed, Vale scored a penalty against Grant McCann’s side earlier in the season too.
The draw
The Round of 32 sees the remaining teams grouped into Northern and Southern sections. There is only one U21 team left in the shape of Aston Villa, who feature in the Northern section. Of the other 15 sides in that geographical group, eight are in League One while seven are in League Two. Doncaster Rovers Vs Vale is the only all-League Two tie.
In the Southern section there are eleven League One sides remaining, joined by five clubs from League Two. Across both sections the highest-placed side in terms of league position is current League One leaders Wycombe Wanderers. In fact, all of the current top five in League Two are still involved, with four of those teams featuring in Vale’s Northern Section. Holders Peterborough United also remain involved as the team faces off against Northampton Town in the Southern Section.
In terms of the favourites, League One leaders Wycombe Wanderers have the shortest odds with the best online sportsbook sites, but as reigning champions, Peterborough are also heavily fancied. Yet with Darren Moore’s Vale currently flying high in League Two, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that the Valiants might add another glorious chapter to the club’s history.
Next up
And so to a meeting with high-flying Doncaster Rovers in the last 32. This Northern Section knockout tie sees manager Darren Moore return to a club he has both played for and managed. Moore had a two-year spell at what was then the Belle Vue stadium (Rovers have since moved to what is now called the Eco-Power Stadium) in the early stages of his career between 1995 and 1997, making 76 league appearances for the club and scoring seven goals. He was named the club’s player of the year in his debut campaign. Moore also spent just less than two seasons in the hot seat at Rovers, before angering then chairman David Blunt upon leaving the team in the playoff positions to take on the manager’s role at Sheffield Wednesday in March 2021.
Vale met Rovers earlier in the season, of course, coming out on the wrong side of a 3-2 loss at Vale Park. Luke Molyneux was the hero for Rovers with two goals, adding to one from veteran Billy Sharp. For the Valiants, Ryan Crossdale and Ethan Chislett were on the scoresheet Since then, Moore’s men have suffered only one defeat in 12 matches, propelling the side to the summit of League Two. It’s two promotion hopefuls going head-to-head.
And these two did meet previously in the EFL Trophy, at the same venue back in 2016. On that occasion the Valiants ran out winners thanks to a penalty shootout victory. A repeat this time perhaps?
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