Port Vale 2-2 Mansfield Town *4-2 on pens (EFL Trophy Round Two) 03.12.19

So the Stags are out…. There I’ve said it… But you might be thinking how have Mansfield Town Football Club got to this stage of a knockout competition having lost three of their four games on penalties and winning only once against Burton to set up this exciting Leasing.com EFL Trophy Northern Section Quarter Final tie.

Well it’s all to get Superclub Under 23’s (plus special guests) to attend and although I don’t like it… I have to lump it as I want to see my Stags get to Wembley by hook or by crook, one way or another.

Well this year, unless it’s a miraculous performance in the league during the second half of the season that pushes us to playoff glory I’ll tell you for nothing… We ain’t going to Wembley.

Port Vale’s a nice ground on a hill near a residential part of Stoke. The leafy Burslem Park is adjacent and you might be forgiven for thinking you’re dropping your car off for it’s annual MOT when you pull in to the car park of the gound. Once inside a big green pitch exposed with four tidy stands and something odd looking in one corner. Orange seats. Lots of orange seats. They seem to glow under the lights of a night match. I like it here.

The Stags come out to mild applause from little over 1,500 fans in total which look lost in this vast venue that holds near 20,000 although I’ve never witnessed it at full capacity myself.

The away side dressed in sky blue are under the cosh early doors as first Burgess fires over before Worrall warms the hands of our Austrian Olejnik all in under the space of ten minutes.

The homeside press in a dominant first half but a timely break on the half hour see’s the injured Brisley replaced by Leon Legge and after drinks and instruction the Stags are back to doing things right.

The busy Hamilton crosses from the left evading everyone on 38 but a minute later his inch perfect centre this time to Cook is tamely headed at Goalkeeper Brown. Olejnik saves well from Cullen who looks a threat, the Stags regroup at half time still in the cup tie with 45 to play.

Stags set out their standards early in the second half and after Cook tests Brown in the Vale goal again, CJ Hamilton puts the boys in the lead firing home right footed from close range after Cook’s lay off following a terrible mix up at the back of modern day overplayed nature.

That goal sets the tie alive and Olejnik is called into action again before MacDonald goes close to making it two his shot deflected out for a corner.

Vale go close again on 63 before Browne finally levelled things up to delight of the sparse and as both sides go for the jugular it’s first blood Vale as Taylor netted what looked to be a late winner on 82.

One thing for sure with the Stags under Demspter however is that they don’t give up without a fight and after Shaugnessy went close with a header substitute Omari Sterling-James walloped home a 90 minute leveller after a great pass by Mellis sending the travelling 106 fans into uproar.

That celebration might have been a little over-enthusiastic considering Mansfield’s penalty shoot out record this season as the Stags faced their fourth shootout in all competitions of the campaign with a record of 0-3.

No extra time needed here, straight to penalties and first up CJ saved by Brown… we’ve been here before… After Vale converted Mellis did manage to find the target (all be it just, off the bar) before another Vale spot kick cooly slotted home and Benning up from the back all brave looking but sadly missing again… Are we cursed? Burgess made it 3-1 before Knowles gave us some confidence in our penalty taking ability but Atkinson puts the tie to bed and I manage to get out of the car park as quick as you can say ‘at least we can now concentrate on the league’.

Next up for the Stags Cheltenham at the Mill on Saturday where I’m hoping there won’t be a penalty in sight.

Port Vale: Brown, Evans, Smith, Brisley (Legge 35), Worrall, Joyce, Browne, Lloyd (Taylor 74), Burgess, Atkinson, Cullen (Archer 85).

Mansfield Town: Olejnik, Benning, Bishop, MacDonald (Sterling-James 86), Khan (Mellis 74), Shaughnessy, Sweeney, Cook, Clarke, Hamilton, Smith (Knowles 86).

Venue: Vale Park (1,164)

*Main image @mansfieldtownfc first goalscorer CJ Hamilton in action at Vale Park.