Goals from Gavin Massey and Lewis Cass see a dominant Valiant performance rewarded with a place in the Second Round of the Emirates FA Cup
A scrappy beginning to the game as the hosts had the first opportunity. Joe Powell picked up the ball on the edge of the area after five minutes but his strike went well wide of Connor Ripley’s goal.
Two minutes later Burton came again, this time Cole Stockton looked for the opener but the striker got his feet muddled up and in the end his effort was weak and wide of the goal.
After standing strong from Albion’s initial pressure the Valiants grew into the game and had two good efforts. The first from the returning Captain Nathan Smith who’s drilled effort from 25-yards was well kept out by Max Crocombe. Tom Conlon then took range on 16 minutes but the midfielder failed to hit the target.
A huge chance then fell to Uche Ikpeazu to give us the lead. A powerful shot from Rhys Walters was first saved by Crocombe and parried into the path of Ikpeazu but the striker could not hit the target from close range.
Burton then had a free kick around 30-yards from goal to try and make the Valiants rue that missed opportunity but Powell’s direct shot sailed over the bar.
But on 31 minutes the Valiants took a deserved lead. Beautiful work from Tom Sang sent Ikpeazu through on goal but saw his shot saved and pushed away from goal only as far as Sang. Our number four’s effort was also kept out by the Burton stopper but the ball dropped to Gavin Massey who simply couldn’t miss from a few yards out.
The Valiants looked for a quick second through Ikpeazu after some neat passing around the penalty area. But the striker’s effort was too high to trouble Crocombe.
Stockton came close to bringing the scores level two minutes from time after he got his head to a cross from the right but his header went over Ripley’s bar.
Ethan Chislett had the final chance of the first half as he turned his man and ran through on goal but the South African’s strike went wide of the far post.
Burton’s frontman Stockton had the first opportunity of the second half with an audacious lob from miles out but it flew out of the stadium on its way to the A50.
The Valiants dominated the ball and had plenty of possession in Burton’s half. On 76 minutes Chislett came close to doubling our lead after he was given too much space outside the area but his lobbed effort had too much on it as it went over the host’s bar.
In the 81st minute we scored the second goal that our play more than deserved. After the initial corner was cleared, the ball was played back out to the right for Sang whose low ball in found substitute Lewis Cass at the front post who finished like a number nine to volley home Vale’s second of the night.
Stockton had a headed chance in the final minute of normal time as the ball from the right was swung into him at the back post but his effort fell well wide of the near post.
Burton Albion | Max Crocombe, Deji Oshilaja (76’ Mustapha Carayol), Ryan Sweeney, Joe Powell, Cole Stockton, Jasper Moon (66’ Steve Seddon), Beryly Lubala (46’ Mason Bennett), Mark Helm (66’ Josh Walker), Jake Caprice, Ciaran Gilligan (46’ Rekeem Harper), Tom Hamer
Unused Subs | Jamal Blackman, Josh Gordon, Bobby Kamwa, Will Tamen