FA Cup lover Beardo says 'thank you' to a group of stockbrokers, business consultants, a caterer and a So Solid Crew rapper!
In football, as in life, the occasional reality check puts many things into perspective and last Saturday I enjoyed, and that is the right word, a reality check at the FA Cup First Round tie between Port Vale and Ford United, though I doubt Valiant fans wouldn't have the same appreciation.
For the benefit of those not aware of it Ford United are members of the Ryman Premier League while Vale are currently riding high in the Second Division and, only a matter of weeks ago, actually topped that division. In the build up to the First Round this was one of the games I highlighted as a possible upset, especially as I had been present when Canvey Island beat Vale, at Vale Park, two seasons ago. And, true to script Ford didn't disappoint, in any respect.
The game started in such a manner that it was hard to avoid thinking in clichés, such as, which was the non-league side and which was the Nationwide team. But Ford actually dominated the early stages of the game with Sammy Cooper, who had been with Canvey Island when they won the aforementioned game, running his professional opponents ragged. Sammy also went narrowly wide with a couple of long-range shots, both after mesmerising runs from midfield that would have not been out of place in a much higher level of football.
After a quarter of an hour in which they had seen their team struggle against, forgive me Ford, supposed lesser opposition, the Vale fans turned on their side. The first shout that went up from the Lorne Street Stand was 'don't shout at Brian (Horton, the Vale manager) he doesn't like it'. That was closely followed by 'if you don't care we do'.
The home side responded to the displeasure of their fans by going a goal down when Robert Earnshaw 'lookalike' Mervyn Abraham flicked the ball over BOTH Vale centre halves, collected it then ran 30 yards before lifting the ball over Jonathon Brain to make it Port Vale 0 Ford United 1. A lead the visitors thoroughly deserved and one which elicited unanimous shouts of 'b***** disgrace' from a disbelieving home crowd. Ah, the magic of the cup!
The first real boos followed in minutes and more boos followed on the half hour. That seemed to bother the home team who could not respond to being outplayed by a side that was comprised of stockbrokers, business consultants, a caterer and the lead singer with rap group So Solid Crew.
At half-time, with the scoreline still reading Port Vale 0 Ford United 1 there must have been thoughts around the country, let alone Burslem, that a giant-killing was on the cards. I bet that thought went around the minds of the Vale players during the interval when the silent crowd tried to pick up on what Brian Horton was saying to his players. Whatever the manager said seemed to work because goals from Stephen McPhee and Liam Burns put the Second Division side 2-1 up, with just over 20 minutes left. It was then that the game took on the significance I wrote at the beginning of this piece.
Ford United could have been forgiven for folding after they had lost their lead but in the best traditions of the original 'giantkiller' David, they went on the attack and, with a quarter of an hour left Alex Fiddes equalised with a stunning volley, following yet more superb wing-play from Sammy Cooper. The beads of sweat, worry induced, began to appear on Vale foreheads as the crowd wondered if it was going to be a trip back to Essex for another serving of FA Cup fare.
But the home fans ARE grateful that they are going to the South East for another tilt at dispatching the non-league outfit because, with just seconds remaining on stoppage time Sammy Cooper almost wrote himself into FA Cup folklore when he hit a scorcher form 25 yards only to see it hit the woodwork.
So it finished Port Vale 2 Ford United 2 but the moral victory was with the part-timers who, on the final whistle, went to their 143 travelling fans to applaud they who were applauding them. I bet there will be a few more at the Oakside Stadium for the replay plus maybe a few million more watching on Sky Sports, who just happen to be one of Ford's sponsors.
I, for one, will be one of them. Thank you Ford, for restoring my faith in the FA Cup.
