SOBS ON VALE

The Lads headed to the Potteries, up for the cup - well, the fans were. The team certainly weren't and we were dumped out by a team two and a half divisions below us. We were too predictable and pedantic in our build-up in the first half, and they soaked up our more direct approach in the second. Simple as that, a classic giant-killing.

The magic of the FA Cup remains, despite the authorities doing their best to remove it. Fifth round, and not a single Saturday 3pm game. At teatime, Wrexham v Chelsea showed how things can change for people. Just look at the SAFC connections: the right fit - manager Phil Parkinson. Career progression - Callum Doyle, 44 loan games for us, the last of which was as a sub at Wembley against Wycombe. Career progression - George Dobson, 47 largely unremarkable SAFC appearances in League One 2019-2021. Career progression - Nathan Broadhead - 13 goals in 27 League One games, including as a very late Playoff final replacement for Ross Stewart. Family connections - Barry Dunn's lad, a year in our youth system and a convoluted path to Wrexham's bench.

Oh, and Marc Guiu of Chelsea, who managed three loan appearances with us at the start of this season and scored in the League Cup. 

Anyway, enough about yesterday, but trust me - that bit is more interesting that what follows.

Today we were without the suspended Sadiki and Hume, injured Brobbey, Reinildo, and Cirkin, and "not quite 100%" Xhaka. Much had been made of Vale's bumpy pitch, but I expect Luke has been rubbing his hands at the prospect. We were at the ground two hours before kickoff, and with nowt entertainment-wise within walking distance, we had only the alfresco fan zone so we gave up and went in early. 

Ellborg 

Geertruida Ballard Alderete O'Nien (c)

Rigg Diarra Le Fee

Talbi Mayenda Angulo

...and a bench of Moore, Xhaka, J. Jones, H. Jones, Isidor, Aleksic, Whitaker, Geragusian, and at last a sighting of Abdullahi.

We joined in with Penny Arcade (had Harry been at the jukebox?) and The Wonder Of You as we awaited the start, just to set the tone. They even played Ready To Go!

In our blue kit, we faced away from "our" end and Vale kicked off to a mighty noise from our lot. 

An early Vale corner nearly caused us problems, and set the tone for the rest of the half. We tried going down both wings, with Angulo, Talbi, Rigg, Diarra, and O'Nien all having a go, but it didn't work. Through the middle was employed less, but perhaps should we should have switched to something less fancy. We did win a corner on the right but it was taken high by the keeper. 

As the half hour approached, Luke tried a mad back pass that Ellborg did really well to head over for the first of three consecutive corners. Vale varied these, and when the third came in, we couldn't/didn't clear and it was headed in by a Kiwi magpie. Can't say the home side didn't deserve it, really.

There was a yellow for catching Dan as he cleared, then Mayenda chased a long one but could only knock it wide as we tried to give it a go, but we kept giving it away in their half. Angulo had a shot saved at the near post after charging in from the right, then Diarra somehow escaped three Valiants on the right touchline and drove into the box - but shot across and wide. In the three added minutes, a Luke longish throw eventually found Ballard at the back post, but the header was tame by his standards and easy for the keeper. 

0-1. Something had to change, either in personnel or tactics.  They say that the league doesn't lie, but Vale hadn't looked like a side at the bottom of theirs.

No changes for the second half, which was strange given the circumstances, but while we showed more urgency there was no improvement in the overall cohesion. An early Talbi shot flew over the bar, then Eli chased down the left to win a corner which was punched away then it was headed off the line before the keeper dropped to his left to save. There was some naughty late stuff on our wide men, but at least we'd realised that trying to play it short and neat, as in the first half, was pretty daft on that pitch.

Luke was on long throw duty, and they did cause Vale some problems but we couldn't take advantage of them. We held our collective breath when Vale broke after another scramble in their box and Ellborg rushed out to hoof their man up in the air.

"No denial of goalscoring opportunity" said VAR. Looked pretty red to me.

Talbi was replaced by Isidor, Dan headed over, then a Rigg cross found the head of Angulo but it was tipped over - then the same happened to another Dan header. If this reads like we were getting a bit desperate, it's because we were, with Dan playing as a third striker. With eight to go Rigg was replaced by Xhaka, just to give us a bit of hope. Forlorn hope, as even he put a cross straight out, and when we wailed as Diarra did likewise, our number 19 gave us a funny look. He didn't seem at all happy.

There was nearly a second for Vale but they shot wide as six extra minutes were announced, and after more chaos from another Luke long'un it dropped to Enzo just outside the box - I'm not sure where it ended up, but it was somewhere over my head, and I was in row Y. 

Whistle, home fans erupted, as they deserved to, and they played Glad All Over. Which we weren't. Man of the Match? Pfft. Riggy, simply because he came down to applaud our fans and hand over his shirt.

Bad day at the office. Very bad.