Port Vale 2, Chester City 0

Feb 2 2001 by Andrew Graham, Chester Chronicle

BLUES boss Graham Barrow admited that Tuesday's trip to second division Port Vale proved to be one league club too many as City crashed out of the LDV Vans Trophy.

A Matt Doughty own goal and a second half Tony Naylor strike killed off any chance of a fightback as Vale gained revenge for last season's Worthington Cup defeat by Chester.

Barrow said: "We have done really well in cup competitions this season but we fell well below our normal standards we've set ourselves this season.

"In recent weeks we have been giving the ball away in the final third, which needs to be looked at and the best time to put that right will be against St Albans we don't want to be on the end of a cup giant-killing."

A quiet opening period saw both sides restricted to long-range efforts. Vale thought they had opened the scoring on 18 minutes when Allen Tankard headed in a curling free-kick, but the referee hadn't blown his whistle.

Minutes later the Valiants made the crucial breakthrough, Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's deep cross cleared all his team-mates in the box but Doughty rose from eight yards and headed into the top of his own net. Vale took command with Stephen Brooker becoming more and more influential.

They could have extended their lead when a corner flew across the six-yard box but no one could turn it in. Vale dominated the first half, with Tankard and Alex Smith linking up well down the left and connecting well with Naylor, Brooker and Bridge-Wilkinson in attack.

Chester started the second half with more purpose and Paul Beesley went close, having a header cleared off the line. The good start had coincided with the decision from Vale manager Brian Horton to substitute Tankard, Vale's influential first-half performer.

Matt Doughty conspired to miss Chester's best chance of the game from a Neil Fisher cross, just failing to make contact with the ball from five yards. As Chester looked to be gaining more of a foothold on proceedings, Barrow brought on Jimmy Haarhoff and Scott Ruscoe to try and salvage something from the game.

But just a few minutes later the game was all but over when Dave Brammers low curling far-post cross evaded the last defender for Naylor to slam home from four yards to make it 2-0. Chester seemed deflated by the second goal but stuck to their task and defended to the finish.

They did muster one more chance from a corner but Carl Ruffer's header from four yards was straight at Vale keeper Mark Goodlad who tipped over the bar. The game petered out with Port Vale enjoying possession and they eased into the next round where they will face Darlington.

Port Vale: Goodlad, Carragher, Tankard (Burns 46), Brammer (Minton 80), Walsh, Cummins (Brisco 80), Naylor, Widdrington, Bridge Wilkinson, Smith, Brooker. Chester City: Brown, Fisher, Doughty (Ruscoe 61), Woods (Haarhoff 61), Lancaster, Beesley (Moss 76), Carden, Blackburn, Wright, Ruffer. Attendance: 2,507.