Sunderland made it two ins in a row and booked a place in the second round of the Carabao Cup with goals from Josh Hawkes and Aiden O’Brien.
Sunderland scored either side of the break as Josh Hawkes got his first goal for the club and Aiden O’Brien doubled Sunderland’s lead from the spot. Vale pulled a goal back through Jamie Proctor and Sunderland managed to hang on for the win.
Lee Johnson made several changes to the side that beat Wigan on Saturday. Dan Neil, Tom Flanagan, and Luke O’Nien were the only ones to survive; Alex Pritchard made his debut alongside youngsters Josh Hawkes and Ellis Taylor, who made their first starts for the club.
With the League One season the priority, this match wasn’t the most important game for Johnson, but keeping winning momentum was.
Ten minutes into the game, and it was an even affair with no early goalmouth action with Sunderland looking to hit the hosts on the break with the pace of Jack Diamond.
Port Vale had the ball in the back of the net, but the referee had blown for a foul on Patterson for a push.
The home side were the first to have a meaningful effort towards the goal as former Manchester United striker James Wilson struck an effort just wide of Patterson’s goal.
Johnson won’t have been too impressed with his side’s efforts with an ordinary showing in the opening 30 minutes in and nothing to test Aiden Stone in the Vale goal.
With five minutes to play, Sunderland had their first chance of the game as the lads worked it well with Dan Neil and Pritchard in the build-up, Diamond tried to chip it over Stone but couldn’t find the target.
Sunderland had sprung into life, and as Hawkes’ effort was fumbled by Stone, who was fortunate to see it only go behind for a corner.
The hosts almost went into the break with the lead as Wilson drove the bar over the bar from 18 yards and probably should have done better.
Sunderland had grown into the game and on the break, Pritchard drove down the centre of the pitch band found Hawkes, who did brilliantly to finish for his first goal for the club.
Sunderland made the perfect start to the second half as Dan Neil played a lovely ball to Diamond who was brought down by the keeper, and the referee pointed to the spot. Aiden O’Brien stepped up and managed to squeeze it past Stone and double the lead.
Hawkes was oozing with confidence and almost got his second as he curled an effort just wide of the post from 25-yards out.
Just beyond the hour mark, the hosts found their way back into the game as a low cross in by David Worrall, and Jamie Proctor managed to take it around Patterson and stab it home.
The goal had given the hosts a new lease of life and were pushing for that equaliser with 20 minutes to play.
The second half had it all; two goals, a pitch invader and one of the floodlights went out which resulted in a lengthy delay.
Vale looked more likely to get the fourth goal of the game as Worrall couldn’t beat Patterson to get a leveller.
Due to all the stoppages, there were eight minutes added on with the hosts looking to get an equalising goal.
Patterson had put in a stellar performance and pulled off a magnificent save to deny Proctor from taking it to penalties.
Full Time: Port Vale 1-2 Sunderland
ALS Man of the Match: Josh Hawkes
Sunderland: Patterson, Younger, Wright, Flanagan, Taylor (Doyle 74’), O'Nien, Pritchard (Grigg 65’), Neil, Diamond (McGeady 65’), O'Brien, Hawkes
Subs not used: Burge, Evans, Stewart & Gooch
