Pair of David's

Port Vale 1-0 Fleetwood Town (FA Cup Round Three)

It’s the FA Cup Third Round weekend, the David against Goliath of annual football fixturing, although tonight I’ve got a pair of David’s to go see play.

I was slightly concerned that I wouldn’t get to see any football at all this weekend, Storm Goretti threatening to cause havoc, but it looks like we are through the worst of it, the covers have been on at Vale Park and a midday inspection has given the match all clear.

Vale have a new Manager, an Aussie chap in Jon Brady who gained promotion with Northampton Town in 2023, he knows League One well and has been brought in to save the bottom of the table side from relegation back to League Two after promotion last season, but first and foremost, he debuts in the dugout for the Valiants against a division below Fleetwood Town, thirteenth in the fourth tier, under Peter Wild, they saw off Barnet in round one, before beating Jack Wilshere’s Luton, on penalties, in round two.

Cup history isn’t exactly iconic for either of these teams, Vale did reach the semi-finals of the 1954 competition, losing 2-1 against eventual winners West Bromwich Albion at Villa Park, they famously knocked Spurs out in the fourth round in 1988, Ray Walker and Phil Sproson with the goals for a John Rudge team who were then going places, they had the likes of Darren Beckford and Robbie Earle in their side that day.

Fleetwood’s best efforts were the fifth round in 2023, they have a few faces featuring tonight who played against Burnley in a painful 1-0 defeat at Turf Moor, a ninetieth minute winner seeing the then Championship side through. The Cod Army previously disposing of Oxford City, Ebbsfleet, QPR and Sheffield Wednesday, along the way.

I’m out the door with a Wagon Wheel and flask of coffee, heading across the A50 towards Stoke-on-Trent, traffic isn’t too bad as I hit Burslem ahead of 6pm, an earlier kick off than usual tonight, 7:30pm.

The Venue

I’ve pulled up on a side street of terraced housing near Burslem Park, before walking down the Hamil Road, dark skies and frosty flooring making it slightly slippy on foot, I pass a metal sign for Burslem, one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent.

With a population of just under 7,000 it’s not that much bigger than Nailsworth (home of Forest Green) which was recently the smallest town to have a team in the football league, although this suburban area is a make-up of a larger practice, it feels like the place has it’s own identity, it’s not like Nottingham, Sheffield or Bristol, which have two obvious clubs, it feels like Burslem, not Stoke, a nice little town centre of its own, a pretty park, a fire station, factories, warehouses and a block of flats opposite the stadium which appears set back and spacious as I continue down the hill.

There’s a statue of John Rudge in the clubs car park, the Manager who I mentioned previously, he led the side from the fourth tier to the Second Division taking charge of over 800 Vale games between 1983 and 1999. Picking up the Football League Trophy in 1993 with a 2-1 win over Stockport at Wembley.

I’ve time so I take a wonder around the club shop, spacious inside and brightly lit, it has the clubs 150th anniversary shirts on show, and a few from the 90’s era made by Dutch company Copa, some retro efforts that you imagine stink of Robin van der Laan’s very own brut.

With an hour to go before kick-off, I’m through the turnstiles at the Railway Paddock, the famous end that home supporters indulge in, the stadium vast inside, open, lit glowing with orange seats enclosed underneath superb high roofing, it’s bloody wonderful as a football ground, wide pitch, slightly humped from middle to the wings, the stand opposite, the Lorne Street Stand, is large, modern, impressive with it’s VIP seating and many executive boxes, each end have big banked rows of seating under cover, to my left the away end where there’s a handful of Fleetwood fans in one corner, to my right, a few more Vale supporters in the Hamil Road Stand, as kick-off approaches the crowd around me gets busier, the players walk out onto the pitch, Elvis Pressley belts out the Wonder of You on the tannoy and everybody joins in.

The Game

It feels busy, but that’s because all 3,000 of tonight’s support are squashed into just a couple of blocks in each stand, all are open, the rest of the venue glows under the floodlights bright sparkling down, empty surrounded below by those orange seats of which there are many, as Fleetwood, the away side in red, do most of the attacking, they keep the ball as Vale come to grips with their new tactics imposed by Manager Jon Brady.

3-5-2. Fleetwood attack largely down their left where they look to isolate Vale full back Mitch Clark who’s up against arguably the Fishermen’s best player in Manchester United loanee Ethan Ennis.

He’s left wing back but plays like an orthodox winger, attacking on the front foot, running at defenders, jinking on the outside and cutting in, he’s direct, positive and I really like the look of him, his end product perhaps letting him down on occasion, after initially doing the hard work to get buy his man.

At the other end, Vale’s stand out is perhaps Devante Cole. Son of former Manchester United striker Andy, he looks more powerful in attack than his dad did, pace and strength, an eye for goal, not quite the finisher of his old man, he should score when Hall pulls back, his instinctive shot is fabulously saved by David Harrington.

It’s about the only clear cut opportunity of a stuttering half, which stumbles some more as Lewis McCann goes down on the far side, he’s collided with a defender and it doesn’t look good, the delay for treatment is that long one Fleetwood player nips down the tunnel for a wee, after a good ten minutes McCann is stretched off, taken immediately to the ambulance near the exits on this near side of the pitch, rather than back down the tunnel. A gentle applause had all wishing him well.

The Score

With play back underway the board goes up for nine minutes added and it’s on that moment, when Vale attack down their right, Devante Cole get’s the better of his man on half way, he powers past his marker on the outside and races into the box, cutting back to Jordan Shipley arriving from midfield, who blasts the home side into the lead.

The second half continues in much of the same fashion, stuttering, not enthralling, Fleetwood have the ball, but don’t really convince enough to carve out chances, Port Vale can’t really get into any real gear, no flow when they go forward, but they do look better when Mo Faal comes on up front, offering Devante Cole a bit more support in attack, Faal is leggy and awkward, has the pace to run away from defenders and due to his size can be a menace when the ball is aerially sent towards him.

Faal’s best work however was to intercept a pass late on and relieve Vale some defensive duty after holding firm against Fleetwood’s persistence, they bring Ched Evans on to a chorus of boos but the Welsh striker can’t help his side score a first goal in four games, the best chance for Fleetwood is when Ennis now on the right hand flank, smashes across goal and the deflection goes agonisingly wide.

The Stars

Ennis is good for Fleetwood, 21-years-old he’s actually the first player to move from Manchester United from Liverpool in 57 years, moving between the clubs as a boy, he’s got a big ask to break through at Old Trafford, perhaps a bridge to far? But he’s awfully talented, committed, he works hard and has quality with two feet, and can certainly have a big future in the game.

Fleetwood for long parts were the better side, young Northern Irish defender Conor Haughey also having a good game, only 18, he threw himself into a block in the first half which stopped a near certain goal, former Arsenal youngster Zech Medley strong and powerful besides him in a back three, Harrison Neal and Mark Helm both looking decent on the ball from midfield, but not enough attacking threat, which is evident on recent form, top goalscorer Ryan Graydon has just moved to Salford City, which leaves the club light in that department.

As for Port Vale, Devante Cole is no doubt their star asset, he looks better than relegation fodder in League One, I’m surprised he’s not at least playing in the Championship by now? George Byers their Scottish midfielder put in a good shift with some elegant touches beside energetic matchwinner Jordan Shipley in the centre of the park, whilst Jayden Stockley was a handful within the 18 yard lines, Mo Faal a more awkward menace in attack ran around a lot, Jaheim Headley coming on at left back late on, he looks like a defender with good strength and pace.

The Verdict

January is a time to do, and if Port Vale do some business, it could save their season from falling? If Fleetwood do nothing, their campaign could stagnate towards something long and miserable?

I actually like a lot of what Port Vale have in their makeup, some good players and a mix of youth and experience, but something hasn’t been clicking under previous manager Darren Moore, perhaps Jon Brady can solve what’s been missing here? A bit of dynamism, a first clean sheet in six is a good start.

They are a fantastic club though and a visit to Vale Park is a reminder of just that. You feel that the magnitude of the place, they are under-achievers perhaps, and I think their fans know it, perhaps they are happy with that tag, plodding along in the football league, a big ground and a big pitch, a nice place to come and watch a game, before they all head off into Burslem and paint the town black and white. What better way to do that I suppose, then on a Friday night?

The Teams

Port Vale: Joe Gauci, Mitch Clark, Ben Heneghan, Cameron Humphreys, Marvin Johnson (Jaheim Headley 75), George Hall (Mo Faal 62), George Byers, Jordan Shipley, Ben Waine (Dajuane Brown 78), Jayden Stockley (Ryan Croasdale 62), Devante Cole.

Fleetwood Town: David Harrington, Toby Mullarkey (Shaun Rooney 59), Conor Haughey, Zech Medley, Harrison Neal (Kayden Hughes 59), Mark Helm, Jordan Davies (Mathew Virtue-Thick 71), Elliot Bonds, Ethan Ennis, Lewis McCann (Ched Evans 42), Will Davies (Owen Devenport 72).

7:30pm Kick Off. Friday 9th January 2026, Vale Park, Burslem (att 3,366).