Valiants Fillet The Fishermen

Port Vale overcame a faltering beginning to both halves to win a topsy-turvy Carabao Cup tie 3-2 with a brace from Ethan Chislett and a first professional goal for Josh Thomas enough to cancel out efforts from Cian Hayes and Ryan Graydon. Vale though were indebted to goalkeeper Connor Ripley who made two fine saves in the seventh minute of injury time to ensure Vale’s passage in to the second round.

It was the visitors though that started the better of the two sides, Toto Nsiala spurring a chance as early as the 4th minutes before Fleetwood took the lead moments later. A left footed corner was swung across the Vale box by Junior Quitirna, Ellis Harrison and Alex Iacovitti both missing the chance to head clear as the ball found its way to Hayes at the back of the Penalty box. The young winger defied his age and experience to take one touch to control the ball before curling a left footed effort back across goal, striking the inside of the post to leave Ripley no chance and putting the visitors one up.

Many fans feared the worst, but Vale struck back themselves on 18 minutes with a little piece of magic from the Chislett. The former Wimbledon midfielder picked up the ball on the left-hand side of the Town penalty box, making his way forward before laying the ball off to Funso Ojo. The midfielder dropped off the ball to Conor Grant who returned the ball to Chislett on the edge of the box. As with Hayes earlier effort, a single touch allowed Chislett all the space he needed to pick out a curling effort from 18 yards out, finding the postage stamp in the top right hand corner to draw Vale level.

But the curse of the set piece hurt Vale again just moments into the second half. Quitirina was again the provider of the corner, Ryan Graydon getting the better of James Plant on the corner of the six-yard box and planting a firm header past Ripley to leave Vale 2-1 down and staring a second defeat in a few days square in the face.

But Vale again responded, a mistake by Fleetwood’s Josh Earl and Hayes gifting the ball to Josh Thomas around 30 yards away from goal in the inside right channel. The Swansea loanee made good progress holding off the attentions of Scott Robinson as he broke into the box, hitting a crisp strike, taking a slight deflection from Nsiala as if flew past Lynch in the Fleetwood goal to make it 2-2.

And it was Vale that provided the knockout punch in the 72nd minute. Good hold up player from substitute James Wilson, allowed Plant to hit a long ball into the Fleetwood half, over the defence, forcing Lynch to leave his area and head clear. The ball though fell to a surging Plant who slipped a pass through to Gavin Massey deep in the Fleetwood box, chipping the advancing Lynch, and finding an unmarked Chislett at the back post who headed home to put Vale in front for the first time in the game.

But the game was far from over as Vale failed to deal with a free kick long from the Fleetwood attacking right. Tom Sang might have done better with his initial clearance but it was a nice piece of skill as Josh Earl chested the ball down and away from Massey before firing a fine effort destined for the roof of Vale’s net forcing Ripley to dive full length to his left getting a strong right hand to deflect the ball over for a corner, the keepers first pump celebrating the save for all to see. The danger was still not over though as the corner was swung in and Ripley was again called in to action with a point blank save to deny the visitors and send Vale through to the Second Round.

Mike Stubbs
Mike Stubbs
Sports Reporter - Port Vale

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