Port Vale, bottom of League One, have reached the FA Cup quarter-finals for the first time in 72 years after a 1-0 victory over Premier League side Sunderland. Ben Waine, a New Zealand-born Newcastle fan, scored the winner with a header in the 26th minute, celebrating with Alan Shearer's trademark single-arm salute. Shearer later retweeted the BBC's post about the goal.
Waine, who also scored the winner in the fourth round against Bristol City and the second-round winner against Bristol Rovers, said: 'I was in dreamland. I knew I would get a bit back from the Sunderland fans, so it was nice to run past them and give it back. I had been thinking about the Shearer celebration before the game.'
The match, played on a rutted pitch in front of a capacity crowd of 10,685, saw Sunderland dominate possession but fail to break down a resolute Port Vale defence. Vale goalkeeper Joe Gauci made several fine saves, including a crucial stop from Nilson Angulo and a goal-line clearance from Dan Ballard. Sunderland also had a goal disallowed and hit the post in the first half.
Port Vale manager Jon Brady, who replaced Darren Moore in January, said: 'It hasn't really sunk in at the moment. I'm just really happy with the boys in their performance today. We've got a quarter of the league season and an FA Cup tie to play in eight weeks. It's a bit of a pain in the bum to be honest! It's a privilege but it's tough as well.'
The win continues Vale's remarkable cup run, with their five Cup triumphs now only one short of their number of league wins this season. They sit 11 points adrift of safety in League One but have found solace in the FA Cup. Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris admitted the pitch conditions affected the game but refused to use them as an excuse, saying: 'It levels everything. But it's not an excuse. It is what it is. Even with the conditions, I think we should have found a solution.'
