Port Vale 0 Stockport County 4 ( EFL Trophy Quarter Final ) 10 February 2026

 

 

 

County stormed into the Semi-Finals of the EFL Trophy, easing themselves one game closer to a Wembley Final with a resounding 4-0 win  at the expense of Port Vale last night at a sodden Vale Park Stadium.

The first half was a fairly tight affair ,but Port Vale, feeding on an almost constant diet of free kicks awarded by  Referee Peter Wright ,would have been 2 up inside 10 minutes   but for two top class saves by Corey Addai who really served his side well in those opening minutes.

Gradually ,it all began to fall apart though for Jon Brady`s side – the excellent Adama Sidibeh  opening the scoring on 36 minutes for County via Malik Mothersille`s fine assist, then adding a second from Norwood`s corner almost on the hour.

County then cemented their total control of affairs with an own goal by keeper Ben Amos ,product of  a Norwood corner and some surreptitious harassment by Brad Hills and a late bit of smash and grab by substitute Jack Diamond .

The 4-goal margin did not overly flatter County who must now be looking forward , with relish, to more opportunities to shine brightly in this much maligned competition!

…………………………. 

Burslem  was its usual uninviting mix of dank miserableness and wet horror when the Flyer got us there in good time for a cold pie at the Vale Park Stadium.

Wet and uncomfortable it might have been standing at the unprepossessing away end , but it looked pure hell on the pitch with wetness abounding, added to which Vale were attacking, and looked like they fancied their chances a touch.

Sadly, Mr Wright the Referee did not improve matters for County commencing early on a game long extravaganza of poor decisions by racking up the first of a very long list of Port Vale free kicks.

An early example of exemplary defending by Joseph Olowu blocked Ben Waine`s path to goal down the  County right, and offered some re-assurance, but this was undermined quickly via another Vale free kick as they  swept forward on the attack.

Tyler Magloire was to the fore for Vale -first to the incoming kick sending the ball at a rate of  knots towards goal!

County were toast weren`t they ?

Well no….. as Corey Addai got the large County following cheering loudly with a  terrific reflex save!

Much of the next 5 or 6 minutes followed the opening pattern outlined above – County having to defend some lively attacking from Vale most prominently Waite who shredded the right side of that defence with a run that he supplemented with a cross that teed Andre Gray up with a shoo-in chance in front of goal.

Nil/ One then ! ?

Err….no…. once more as Addai squared the circle again for the green shirted blues keeping the second goal bound Vale shot in 10 minutes  out brilliantly with his legs!

Ten minutes gone and we could have been 2-0 down, but we weren`t ,however the free kicks kept piling up for Vale – the latest driven in hard and low from County`s left by Jordan Shipley but ushered away by the County back line which was to shut up shop very effectively hereon out.

The first real effort from County came 18 minutes in from Norwood, but it carried the bar by not that much at all.

Another effort 3 minutes later might have given County the lead but despite excellent approach play by Tayo Edun, Malik Mothersille put the gilt-edged chance over the bar.

It took County another 15 minutes to get the goal they sought- the move started by a ball to Mothersille near the by-line by Norwood . Mothersille did well tracking inside before slipping the ball to Adama Sidibeh whose emphatic finish brooked no argument from Vale getting the County following   cheering in loud support.

A typically Burslem blizzard now engulfed the mostly empty stadium   as I looked pitch-side to see Mr Wright tee up a real chance for Vale with a free kick right on the edge of the box and dead central.

It did not look all that good as Shipley weighed up his options , as the County wall had a glaring gap in it and he had definite chances there. He did not neglect taking advantage of that obvious deficiency-  finding the gap perfectly with his kick which fizzed beyond the wall towards goal where Addai excelled himself again pushing the ball around the right-hand post for  a corner that County cleared with no drama.

There was very little drama in what remained of the half- the first 45 minutes ending as it started with good work by Joseph Olowu to see a run by Waite off.

……………………………………

County started to impose themselves in the second half, but Mr Wright provoked a pungent response from County supporters for an incredible decision to penalise Norwood for a perfectly excellent tackle as repeated renderings of that old favourite `S@@t Referee…Oley…Oley` told the official how little he was regarded.

This lack of regard was underlined dramatically on 53 minutes when the dangerous Sidibeh was upended in the box , right under the refs nose, by Ben Honeyghan.

A clear penalty, but we did not get one!

Dixon was again having a decent game down the right for County but his run into the box , 2 minutes later, saw Sidibeh kept out by the home keeper Ben Amos.

That was just about Adama`s last disappointment of the night as , within another 3 minutes County had doubled their lead.

The goal set up by a shot from Tanto Olaofe that Amos tipped over the bar for a corner.

If Norwood`s delivery from the flag was near perfect finding Sidibeh beyond the back post, the Gambian strikers finish was even better, his header directed across goal with power giving Amos no chance of keeping it out- it was 2-0 and County`s support were now singing about Wembley !

Tanto worried Honeyghan into almost pushing the ball into the Vale net – an outcome avoided by a last gasp intervention by Amos, but overall County`s number nine had  had a quietish game – Mothersille prevented from getting to a Tanto through ball by the keeper with less than 15 minutes left to play.

County had no intention of relaxing in those 13 or so minutes- a period of concerted pressure from the men in green started by a Norwood free kick that was deflected for a corner……another followed as Headley hurried the ball out of play with County on Vale`s case.

The keeper flapped prodigiously at this ushering in a 3^rd flag kick that Norwood    lifted invitingly into the box where , under maximum pressure from Brad Hills, Amos palmed the ball into the net much to the joy of the watching County support( which was announced as 483, something of a gross miss calculation in my view).

3-0 was good…4-0 better and that`s how it shaped up as with 2 minutes added time announced , Jack Diamond  added something to proceedings himself with a run that took him from half -way to smack in front where he buried the ball beyond Amos  into the net.

A fitting end to a decent County performance, and reward for the large Tuesday night County away following that made the trip to support their team so well on the worst of night`s.

 

Port Vale line up ;-

Amos , Honeyghan, Gabriel , Brown ( Headley 45), Walters ( G Ward 68) ,Gordon ( G Hall 45) , Wayne  ( Hernandez 49) , Shipley , Campbell , MacGloire , Gray ( Stockley 45 ).

Unused subs: Gauchi , Hall C .

 

Stockport County line up:-

 Addai, Onyango (Hills 61), Olowu, Pye , Dixon (C. Gardner 61), Norwood, Bate (Bailey 61), Edun, Mothersille (Diamond 78),Olaofe, Sidibeh (Wootton 61).

Unused Subs: Hinchliffe, Dodgson.

Attendance 1577 ( 483)

hedgegrower