FA Cup a challenge for relegation-threatened Port Vale
Port Vale manager Jon Brady acknowledged that a lengthy FA Cup campaign was a “pain in the bum” amidst his team’s struggle against relegation in League One, yet this did not diminish the jubilant celebrations following their surprising 1-0 victory over Premier League side Sunderland, marking their advancement to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1954.
Ben Waine’s header in the 28th minute was their sole shot on target, but it was sufficient to secure a memorable victory at Vale Park, as they triumphed over top-tier opposition for the first time since defeating Everton in the fourth round three decades ago.
Despite a recent improvement in form since Brady took over from Darren Moore in early January, Vale remains at the bottom of League One, 11 points adrift of safety, and could arguably do without additional distractions as they battle to avoid relegation. However, performances like Sunday’s also instill a sense of hope.
“It’s a bit of a pain in the bum, to be honest!” Brady remarked. “It really is because what it’s doing for us is adding to our fixture list, and as you saw, we lost one of our best centre-halves [Cam Humphreys], and we don’t have the squad depth to manage the number of games right now.
“It’s a privilege, but it’s challenging as well.”
Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal are now potential opponents, but Brady emphasized that he was not contemplating Monday’s draw as he concentrates on the upcoming match against Bradford on Wednesday.
“I wouldn’t have a clue because I’m focused on Bradford,” he stated.
Waine has now scored the decisive goal in three of Vale’s FA Cup matches this season, including an extra-time goal in Tuesday night’s fourth-round win over Bristol City as well as in an earlier fixture.
For a lifelong Newcastle United supporter, scoring against Sunderland made the moment even more significant—Waine was nearly speechless when he learned that Alan Shearer had retweeted a photo of him imitating Shearer’s iconic celebration.
The New Zealand international, who grew up in Wellington, has family roots in the northeast, making this occasion particularly meaningful.
“I always watched the Newcastle matches against Sunderland, and to be part of this game and score the winner is quite special,” Waine expressed. “Not just for me, but for the entire family…this is the dream, so you have to enjoy living it.”
In a week where they reached the 40-point milestone in the Premier League, Sunderland missed their opportunity to advance to the FA Cup quarterfinals for the first time since 2014.
“I was really disappointed,” said Regis Le Bris. “We approached the match strongly with the ambition to win, knowing it would be a tough challenge due to the atmosphere here and the team’s full involvement; full credit to them.
“In this competition, it’s more about mindset and fighting spirit than tactical or technical skills, and we probably weren’t consistent enough. Some players performed at their level, but we were not good enough in creating opportunities today.
“I don’t believe we were complacent. That’s not my impression. It’s more about the ability to reset.”
