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| Mitchell Cole can't believe his shot hit the post |
LOUIS Dodds' sixth goal of the season put Port Vale into the Second Round of the FA Cup on Tuesday evening, and with it inflicted Stevenage Borough's first home defeat in 28 games at the Lamex Stadium.
Such records deserve to be beaten by a piece of magic, a touch of class. But for Boro, it came from a poor pass mistake by the otherwise solid Mark Roberts.
On 24 minutes the Boro captain thought the coast was clear between himself and 'keeper Chris Day and he headed weakly back. To his despair, Dodds ran in from his blindside and headed past the Boro stopper after Day had saved his initial effort.
As with the 1-1 draw between these two teams 10 days previous - when Vale scored from their only effort on target - Boro would come to regret not being able to put their chances away while keeping their opponents limited to shots from outside the box.
Mitchell Cole hit a post and Charlie Griffin was inches away from sliding a Yemi Odubade ball home in the second period, while after a good start to the game Griffin shot wide from inside the area on just 14 minutes when free with the ball.
A lot had been said by Vale captain Tommy Fraser before this game about how he thought Boro were "cocky from the manager down" and that they thought they were better than they actually were.
As it turned out, his first comment was nonsense and as for his second, well Boro were every bit as good as Vale were over the two legs.
It is goals that count, however, and despite hitting five past Gateshead at the weekend Boro were just unable to put the ball into the back of the net against Micky Adams' side.
They went close as early as the third minute when an Odubade lob was tipped over by Vale 'keeper Chris Martin and a few moments later when Roberts headed just wide from a corner.
At the other end the lively Lewis Haldane broke free behind Jon Ashton on 13 minutes and running on to a pass by Doug Loft hit his shot high of Day's goal.
With Griffin also going close on 14 minutes there was a sense that Vale's defensive problems - they were without the suspended Lee Prosser and Tommy Fraser and the injured Gareth Owen - might help Boro's cause, but it was Dodds who stole in to put his side 1-0 up.
From then on it seemed Vale were content with pushing up early without creating too many good chances of their own.
They settled for closing down Boro's midfield and, with great effect, full backs Ronnie Henry and Scott Laird who were barely able to bomb up the wings in their usual custom.
Vale's only other opportunity in the first half fell to Marc Richards to the right of Day's goal, but he sliced his shot wide, while a minute before time Griffin headed just wide when he had seen the ball late following a cross from the right.
Darren Murphy came on for Ashton at the beginning of the second half, with Bostwick dropping back into the centre of defence, and Boro, like the first half, attacked from the off.
Griffin shot wide from a tight angle five minutes into the second half and then Boro had probably their best opportunity of the match.
Yemi Odubade, a compact bundle of pace and energy, neatly trapped a ball in the centre circle facing his own goal before turning and sliding a precision pass through to Cole who had started to run off the shoulder of the Vale defenders.
The ball slipped through, Cole pushed it forward and entering the Vale box hit the ball across the goalkeeper only to see his shot agonisingly hit the post in what seemed like slow motion.
It was a terrific opportunity to pull Boro back into the game, and a wonderful, fluid move, but with it went Boro's hopes of turning the match.
There were more chances - Drury got on to a Cole cross with a sliding shot straight at Martin while Griffin was just inches wide when trying to get on the end of an Odubade cross 12 minutes from time - and Murphy hit a hard, low shot just left of the Vale post on 87 minutes, but it wasn't to be for Boro.
They must now put the defeat behind them and look for all three points away to Forest Green on Saturday.
Boro (4-4-2): Day, Henry, Laird (Byrom, 85), Ashton (Murphy, 45), Roberts, Drury, Bostwick, Bridges (Vincenti, 80), Cole, Odubade, Griffin.
Subs: Bayes, Odhiambo, Boylan, Beardsley.
Port Vale (5-3-2): Martin, R Taylor, Griffith, McCombe, Loft, Richards, Dodds, Collins, Jarrett (Howland, 77), K Taylor, Haldane (Glover, 91). Subs: Anyon, Yates, Richman, Davidson.
Referee: J Singh.
Attendance: 2,894.
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