Vale were beaten 1-0 at the Montgomery Waters Meadow in a game of few clear cut chances.
Vale started brightly and in the third minute Liam Hickson hit a shot from 20 yards that goalkeeper Sam Agius parried to safety. The Shrews hit back a minute later as Charlie Caton headed over and they began to exert some pressure although the Vale defence limited their chances.
Just after the half hour mark Tom Gregors tipped a looping shot from Archie Elmore over the bar and from the corner a powerful header by Luke Ward was blocked by skipper Hayden Campbell. Shrewsbury took the lead nine minutes before the interval. A corner from the right saw two efforts at goal blocked before central defender Tom Davies smashed the loose ball into the net from close range.
Five minutes into the second half Davies headed over before Vale’s Luke Chambers made a good run down the left to earn a corner which came to no avail. In the 58thminute Joseph Ajose struck a cross shot just wide of the post as Vale sought an equaliser. Four minutes later Ajose swapped wings and laid the ball off to Maxwell Chimenes but he was crowded out by Ward.
A short back pass almost let in Ammar Dyer only for Gayle to just scramble the ball away from the Vale substitute seconds after he had been introduced. Shrewsbury then saw the game out to earn a second round tie at home to Sunderland.
Shrewsbury – Agius, Hartley, Walker, Rowland (Redding 67), Davies, Ward, Turner (Thomas 67), O’Toole, Elmore, Grosvenor (Aris 86), Caton
Subs not used – Bryan, Sears
Port Vale – Gregors, Barratt, Chambers, Bradbury, Hallchurch, Lennon, Stevens (Jones 87), Campbell, Chimenes, Hickson (Dyer 66), Ajose
Subs not used – Collinge, Lake, Robins