Port Vale 1-0 Bristol Rovers
Emirates FA Cup, Vale Park, Saturday 6 December 2025
Bristol Rovers were eliminated in the second round of the Emirates FA Cup by Port Vale after losing 1-0 at Vale Park.
The Gas held the majority of the ball throughout the fixture, but it was the hosts who created the more significant chances. Forward Ben Waine was a constant threat during the first half, chipping an effort over the bar after being sent through against Luke Southwood.
Just after the restart, Waine made up for his one-on-one miss before the break to open the scoring on Saturday afternoon. Connor Hall's header forward beat the Rovers defence and went through to the New Zealand forward, who finished high over Southwood in the Pirates' goal to give Vale the lead.
The visitors fought back with long-range efforts from Freddie Issaka and Kamil Conteh. However, they were unable to tie the game as the home side advanced to the next round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Vale beat Barnsley 5-0 in the Vertu Trophy in midweek and had the ball in the back of the net inside five minutes against the Gas, but the linesman raised his flag for offside moments after Waine's header found the bottom corner. Jaheim Headley then had a big chance come his way as he was slipped through the Rovers' defence before cutting onto his right foot and lifting a shot over the bar.
Rovers fought back as Bryant Bilongo fired a ball across the Port Vale box, but Ellis Harrison could not quite beat Ben Amos from close range. Moments later, the Gas had another chance, but Fabrizio Cavegn curled over after latching onto Luke Thomas' pass.
Cavegn was lively in the attack and tested the Vale defence once again. He rushed down the left on the counter and looked to work a space for a shot, but his effort was blocked well by Ben Heneghan.
The best chance of the half for either team fell to Waine right at the end of the opening 45 minutes. He got onto a cutback from the right and was free in the heart of the box, but Southwood closed the angle well, and Waine could only fire over.
The game was goalless at half-time, but the Valliants opened the scoring only two minutes after the restart. Hall's clearing header out of the defence went straight through to Waine, who finished clinically beyond Southwood.
Vale came close again just beyond the hour mark. A corner was flicked on and flashed across Rovers' goal, but no Vale player was there to convert. Another chance followed shortly later as Devante Cole drove away from Tom Lockyer and played a square ball across the area, but the arriving Ruari Paton could only find the side netting.
The Sky Bet League One side had all of the momentum and would have doubled their lead without a superb stop from Southwood, who pushed away Mo Faal's close-range header.
The Pirates had a flurry of chances in the final few minutes but could not test Vale's goal. Callum Morton brought the ball down brilliantly on the left side of the box before seeing a shot blocked, with Kamil Conteh twice shooting over. As a result, the hosts progressed to the third round of the Emirates FA Cup, with the Gas next in action on Tuesday night away at Barnet.
Port Vale: Amos, Headley, Heneghan, Hall (Brown 86), Byers, Ojo, Paton (Curtis 73), Waine (Faal 73), John, Hall, Cole
Subs not used: Guaci, Humphreys, Debrah, Walters, Croasdale, Stockley
Goals: Waine
Booked: Hall, Paton
Bristol Rovers: Southwood, Moore, Mola, Thomas (Issaka 63), Lockyer, Cotterill (McEachran 63), Harrison (Morton 78), Conteh, Bilongo (Forde 50), Negru (Lopata 50), Cavegn
Subs not used: Young, Sparkes, Howley, Dewsbury
Booked: Lockyer, Conteh, Moore
Attendance: 3227 (332 away)
Referee: Ross Joyce
