Dean Glover’s extra-time penalty ensured Port Vale progressed to the southern section quarter-finals of the Autoglass Trophy after winning a seven-goal thriller at Vale Park this evening.
Fulham took the lead in the ninth minute when Martin Pike curled an exquisite free-kick past Paul Musslewhite and into the bottom corner of the net from just outside the box. Martin Foyle equalised for the hosts midway through the second half when he drove a left-wing cross from Nicky Cross past Lee Harrison with Fulham’s marking having gone to pot.
Glover gave Vale the lead eleven minutes into the second half when he drove high into the net following an almighty scramble after Fulham failed to clear a corner. Don Mackay’s men hauled themselves level with twenty minutes to go when they took advantage of a dreadful back pass from Peter Swan. Substitute Lee Tierling saw a shot saved by the legs of Musselwhite, who had dashed well out of his goal, but Jeff Eckhardt chipped in from fully forty yards.
That set up a pulsating period of extra time. Fulham went ahead first after Eckhardt headed onto a long kick downfield from Jim Stannard and Julian Hails lungbusting run saw him steer a shot past a furious Musslewhite. But Vale were only behind for two minutes before Ian Taylor’s outrageous overhead kick from Robbie van der Laan’s cross punished some poor Fulham defending.
The home side sealed a spot in the next round when Neil Aspin was adjudged to have been brought down by Glen Thomas and Glover smashed the spot-kick past Stannard’s despairing dive and into the bottom corner of the net.
PORT VALE: Musselwhite; Swan, Glover, Aspin, Sulley, Sandeman, Walker, Kerr (van der Laan 73), Taylor, Cross (Kent 80), Foyle.
GOALS: Foyle (23), Glover (56, pen 107), Taylor (99)
FULHAM: Harrison; Newson, Pike, Marshall, G. Thomas, Eckhardt, Onwere, Hails, Ferney (Tierling 74), Cooper, Baah (Kelly 74).
GOALS: Pike (9), Eckhardt (70), Hails (97).
ATTENDANCE: 3,581.
