Port Vale 1 Macclesfield 0 - Sunday 10th January 1988

Port Vale 1 Macclesfield 0

FA Cup 3rd Round

At Vale Park

Sunday 10th January 1988

PORT VALE: Earle, MaguireSUBS:Grew, Steggles, Hughes, Walker, Banks, Sproson, Ford, Finney, Riley, Beckford, Hamson.

MACCLESFIELD: Rob Askey, HardmanSUBS:Zelem, Roberts, Grant, Edwards, Tobin, Hanlon, John Askey, Shaw, Lake, Burr, Mountford.

It was said that this was the match on which the future of Vale boss John Rudge depended – if that was the case, the result certainly turned around Vale’s fortunes both on and off the pitch. Kevin Finney scored the goal that made all the difference with it looking like it was going to have to go to a replay, and the rest, as they say, is history. Vale went on to draw – and beat - Cup holders Tottenham in front of the television cameras and Rudge went on to build a side to be proud of, with some astute signings and big money coming in from subsequent transfer dealings.

The pick of the weekend’s other FA Cup results:

Oldham 2 Tottenham 4

Ipswich 1 Man Utd 2

Sheff Wednesday 1 Everton 1

Sutton Utd 1 Middlesbrough 1

Huddersfield 2 Man City 2

Sheff utd 1 Maidstone 0

Arsenal 2 Millwall 0

Hartlepool 1 Luton 2

Reading 0 Southampton 1

Bradford C 2 Wolves 1

Oxford 2 Leicester 0

Wimbledon 4 West Brom 1