We welcome Premier League Brentford to Vale Park with a place in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup up for grabs. Let’s take a look at back our previous fixture at Vale Park and our famous Football League Trophy triumph
Past five encounters with Brentford | LLLDL
Our last home clash with Brentford:
Sky Bet League One, Vale Park, Saturday 3rd August 2013, Port Vale 1-1 Brentford
Vale were forced to soak up the pressure from Brentford early on in the game, with the home side’s resolve being tested at every opportunity.
When Micky Adams’ side did manage to hit back it was skipper Doug Loft who almost snatched the lead.
Gavin Tomlin picked the ball up in an advanced position on the right and slipped the ball inside for Loft, who took a touch before hitting a dipping 20-yard shot that dropped inches over David Button’s crossbar.
Adam Forshaw was allowed too much space inside the Vale box in the 16th minute and had plenty of time to get a shot in, but thankfully Chris Neal was equal to it.
Will Grigg then took on three Vale defenders, but was forced wide by the ever-alert Chris Robertson and fired over the crossbar from an angle.
The action soon switched to the other end when Jones stormed up the left flank to send in a deep cross which appeared to be going out of play, but Tom Pope managed to get a head to it from a tight angle, striking the upright.
Vale then had what at first glance seemed legitimate appeals for a penalty turned down after Myrie-Williams cut inside from the right before going down inside the box.
A minute later the same player went down inside the penalty area and despite loud appeals from the crowd, the home side had to settle for a corner kick.
On 26 minutes it was the visitors who struck when Shaleum Logan cut inside onto his left foot to release a screamer into the top left-hand corner of the net.
Vale took six minutes to level the scores. Gavin Tomlin was stuck in the corner, enclosed by three Brentford players but suddenly produced a superb cross, which Pope flicked on and Doug Loft slammed past Button in the Bees’ goal.
Despite the visitors’ strong start to the game, Vale were certainly playing their part in an entertaining ‘end to end’ affair in which the Valiants’ passion was clear for everyone to see.
Each and every one of the white-shirted players out there on the pitch played their part, tracking back when needed and sticking to their task in an almost regimented fashion.
Vale went close to a second goal in stoppage time when a long throw from Robertson was met by the head of Pope, but his header dropped on top of the net.
Former Crewe striker Clayton Donaldson thought he had put the visitors back in front in the 53rd minute when he latched on to a ball over the top, only to see his shot come back off the crossbar.
The visitors were looking more determined early on in the second half and Vale were having to defend in numbers.
Vale were struggling to make an impact at the other end of the pitch, but that almost changed in the 65th minute, when Tomlin did well to wriggle free on the byeline and Brentford, were more than happy to concede a corner.
Chris Lines sent in a well-flighted cross which eluded everybody and the visitors managed to scramble away and avert the danger.
Tomlin was causing quite a few problems to the visitors with his determination, tricky feet and a never say die attitude as Vale began to exert a spell of pressure themselves.
When Grigg found himself with a chance in front of the Vale goal, Adam Yates, who had played a big part in Vale’s attacking build-ups, was on hand with a firm challenge to put the ball out for a corner.
Micky Adams decided to freshen things up in the 75th minute with the introduction of Lee Hughes and Kaid Mohamed from the bench, with Tomlin and Myrie-Williams rested.
Brentford still managed to put Vale under the cosh at times forcing the home side to scramble the ball away on several occasions,
Vale made their final change in stoppage time. Skipper Doug Loft going off, to be replaced by Louis Dodds, but despite a late Vale flourish the game ended all-square.
Classic Fixture
LDV Vans Trophy Final, Millennium Stadium, Sunday 22nd April 2001, Port Vale 2-1 Brentford
Brentford got off to a flying start; young Dobson out-jumping Neil Brisco to head home a corner beyond the helpless Mark Goodlad for a 3rd-minute lead. The tone of the game was set by Vale's dominant five-man midfield, with Brammer the engine that drove the Valiants search for an equaliser as Brentford struggled to keep pace.
It was Brammer who made Vale's intentions clear; sending a long-range strike goalward, only for it to be deflected wide. Whereas Sagi Burton made the Brentford defence nervous from set-pieces. Naylor, Brooker and Bridge-Wilkinson presented the danger from open play.
On the 20-minute mark, Naylor pulled back a ball that Bridge-Wilkinson hooked wide. This was to prove their most dangerous movement of the half.
Not long after the restart Naylor's persistence in front of goal seemed to have paid off, yet he was deemed to be offside – whether the linesman made the right call was a topic of debate. However, Brentford could not rely on help from the officials for long and on the 76th-minute, when Powell brought down Naylor on the edge of the area, the referee signalled for a penalty.
Bridge-Wilkinson converted, sending Gottskalksson the wrong way. Seven minutes later and the Vale had the lead; Naylor won the ball from Gavin Mahon deep in the Brentford half, then squared the ball to Brooker, who struck his shot sweetly, leaving Vale 2–1 up on 83 minutes.
Brentford piled on the pressure and had numerous late chances; the first falling to substitute McCammon, whose first touch of the game was a poor header that could have found the net if it was well placed.
The last kick of the game could have taken it to extra time however, Owusu headed wide from Gottskálksson's overhead kick – the Brentford goalkeeper doing more than making up the numbers in the Vale box during the last seconds of injury time.