The Valiants make club history this evening as we step onto the pitch as Carabao Cup Quarter Finalists for the first time in our history. We welcome Middlesbrough to Vale Park in what will be the first meeting between the sides since the turn of the millennium.
The Valiants come into the game off the back of a dramatic 3-2 win against Wigan Athletic. A first half brace from Ethan Chislett gave Vale a 2-0 lead at the break. Wigan found a way back into the game when Chris Sze found the net from close range in the 63rd minute.
Charlie Wyke then levelled the game for the Latics and with ten minutes to go it was anyone’s game. In the 83rd minute Ethan Chislett was awarded space on the edge of the Wigan box before he took aim and his deflected effort looped over Sam Tickle and nestled in the back of the net to earn him his first career hat trick and three points for the Vale.
The Story So Far...
In the First Round of the Carabao Cup, the Vale beat fellow League One side Fleetwood Town 3-2 at Vale Park. The Cod Army took an early lead when Cian Hayes found the top corner with a curled effort from outside the box. Just thirteen minutes later the Vale were level when Ethan Chislett curled home an effort of his own when he found the far corner from the left side of the box. Soon after the break, Ryan Graydon headed his side into the lead when he met a corner at the near post. On the hour mark Vale levelled again when Josh Thomas muscled his way into the box before finishing well from the right side of the box. The winning goal came in the 72nd minute when Gavin Massey won the ball in midfield before crossing to Chislett who headed home from close range.
In Round Two the Valiants played host to League Two outfit Crewe Alexandra. After a fairly even ninety minutes, the game went straight to penalties. Elliot Nevitt stepped up first for The Alex and blazed his spot kick over the crossbar which set the tone for his side as they missed all four of their penalties. Connor Ripley saved one, and the other two crashed off the crossbar. For Vale, James Wilson and Ollie Arblaster scored the winning penalties to help Vale progress into the third round
Vale took on Sutton United in the Third Round of the Carabao Cup. It took 49 minutes until the game saw its first goal, Rhys Walters won the ball in midfield and played In Josh Thomas who burst into the Sutton box before calmly slotting past the on-rushing keeper. With twenty minutes of the game left, the visitors levelled the score when Hisham Kasimu broke into the Vale box before calmly finishing with the outside of his boot to make it 1-1. After pushing for the winner, Vale finally went ahead in the 83rd minute through Funso Ojo’s 25-yard strike that moved in the air and fooled the Sutton keeper. This excellent strike earned Vale a place in the Fourth Round for the first time in 17 seasons since that famous trip to White Hart Lane in 2006 when the Valiants took on Tottenham Hotspur
The Valiants travelled to League Two side Mansfield in the fourth Round of the Carabao Cup in what was a momentous occasion for both clubs. Going into the game, The Stags were unbeaten all season and were probably the favourites despite being a league below. The Vale started the better of the sides at a foggy Field Mill and had chances to take the lead when Ollie Arblaster and Tom Sang forced saves from Christy Pym in Stags' goal. Just before the break, Arblaster had the best chance of the game but his volley crashed off the post before going wide. Five minutes into the second half the game's deciding moment came. Alfie Devine won the ball on halfway before bursting into the Mansfield half, The Spurs loanee then unleashed a curling effort that found the bottom corner and sparked jubilant scenes in the away end. After going a goal up, Vale pushed for a second and came close when Uche Ikpeazu hit the bar.
After a gruelling ten minutes of injury time the referee finally called a halt to the game and history was made has Vale had reached the Carabao Cup Quarter Final for the first time in the club's long history.
Crosby’s Comments
Here’s what the gaffer had to say ahead of his side's historic Carabao Cup fixture:
“We certainly can’t get embroiled in playing the occasion. It’s a football match against a team who are higher up. A Championship football team who have a rich history. They won on Saturday, they’re in a good run of form, with a squad full of good players. But football being what it is, there’s always an upset.
"The underdogs don’t always lose. That’s the mindset we’re going into this game with. We’re going to attack this game, we're going to try and play on the front foot, were going to be the best version of ourselves and then we’ll see what happens”
The Opposition
Middlesbrough currently occupy 13th place in the Sky Bet Championship. They have won two of their last five league games, including a 2-1 victory on Saturday against Swansea City. Sam Greenwood gave Boro the lead on Saturday before Jamal Lowe levelled the scores for the Swans on the hour mark, second half sub, Samuel Silvera scored the winner in the 78th minute to earn his side their first win in four games.
Last season, Middlesbrough finished 4th in the Championship but came unstuck against Coventry City in the Play Offs Semi Final after losing 1-0 on aggregate. This season, they haven’t yet lived up to their success last season. They had to wait eight games for their first league win but have since steadied the ship as they sit comfortably in mid-table.
Who’s in Charge:
Boro are managed by former Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick. This is Carrick’s first official managerial role. However, he was appointed caretaker manager at Old Trafford in November 2021 after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked. In Carrick’s three games in charge, he guided the Red Devils to wins over Villareal in the Europe League and Arsenal in the Premier League. He then stood down when Ralf Rangnick was appointed head coach on December 2nd 2021.
Carrick was appointed manager of Middlesbrough on the 24th October 2022 when Boro were 21st in the league with 17 points from 16 games, one point above the relegation zone. The Englishman made an immediate impact and was awarded Manager of the Month in November 2022. At the end of the 2021/22 season, he guided his side to a 7th place finish, missing out on the Play Offs by five points. Carrick improved on this finish last season as they finished 4th but were beaten by Coventry City in a two-legged Play Offs Semi Final.
Player to Watch – Matt Crooks
The Middlesbrough side is littered with experienced players, none more so than Matt Crooks who has played over 300 professional games over the course of his career. Since arriving at the Riverside in July 2021 he has gone onto make over 90 appearances for Boro.
So far this season, Crooks has played 21 games, with nine goal involvements which include three goals and six assists from his attacking midfield role.
Boro’s top scorer is 24-year-old Emmanuel Latte Lath, The Ivorian striker joined the club in the summer from Italian giants Atalanta. He has found the net seven times in 19 appearances. His last goal came in a 2-1 defeat against Hull City when he opened the scoring in the 6th minute of the game.
Fixture Throwback
Port Vale 2-1 Middlesbrough, Saturday 17th September 1994.
We have to go back almost thirty years since Vale’s last victory over Middlesbrough. Despite this feeling like a long time ago, the sides have only met three times since this fixture.
Middlesbrough took the lead when Jamie Pollock thundered in a strike at the near post following a smart corner kick routine from the right side. In the second half, Vale levelled when Tony Naylor ran onto a flick-on to took the ball past the onrushing Boro keeper. Soon after, the comeback was complete when Lee Glover’s left footed shot took a wicked deflection and looped over the keeper and into the back of the net to earn Vale all three points at Vale Park.