Theo Robinson scored a stoppage time winner as Port Vale dispatched Scunthorpe United 2-1 at the Sands Venue Stadium, to secure our progression to the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Zak Mills also scored on his competitive debut, firing home the first goal of the game on the stroke of half-time.
John Askey’s side had the better of the game, and were deservedly rewarded when David Worrall’s cross was met by the head of Theo Robinson in the dying stages of the match.
The Valiants started the game brightly, moving the ball well in Scunthorpe’s half and with just six minutes of the game played, Mark Cullen had a chance to open the scoring for Vale, but his half-volleyed effort stung the palms of Iron goalkeeper Rory Watson, before the shot-stopper was able to eventually collect the ball.
Vale continued to run the game, as Tom Conlon tried a speculative volleyed effort from outside the box, which sailed just over the Scunthorpe goal after 13 minutes.
It took 22 minutes for Scott Brown to eventually be called into action, when Abo Eisa’s curling strike from outside the box was palmed away for a corner by the Valiants’ shot-stopper.
But Eisa forced Brown into a stunning save shortly after, when the wide man’s cross looked to be sailing into the back of the Vale net, before Brown plucked the ball from the sky and past the post for a corner.
Vale always looked strong on the counter throughout the half, with David Worrall and Devante Rodney running up and down the wing, teasing the Scunthorpe full-backs and causing distress across the Iron back-line.
And Vale’s first-half pressure finally paid off in first-half stoppage time, after Rodney knocked down a Worrall cross into the path of Zak Mills, who fired the ball into the back of the net from six-yards on his competitive debut for the Valiants.
In the last action of the first-half, Rodney hit a speculative shot from outside the box which just sailed wide of Watson’s post, with the half ending with the Valiants well on top of Scunthorpe.
Scunthorpe came out of the blocks sharply in the second-half and after 51 minutes Eisa’s free-kick was whipped into the box, teasing the Vale defence before flying past the post for a Vale goal-kick.
With twenty minutes of the game remaining Scunthorpe grabbed an equaliser, after Ryan Loft met Ryan Colclough’s low ball into the box, angling his finish past Scott Brown.
The Valiants almost provided an immediate response two minutes later, as Worrall’s free-kick was met by the head of Nathan Smith, but Watson got his body in the way to prevent the Valiants from re-taking the lead.
Scunthorpe then went up the other end of the pitch and Scott Brown was forced into another fine save from close range, before the ball was eventually put over the bar.
But the Valiants proved to have the last say in the tie, in the second minute of stoppage time, after yet another superb Worrall cross evaded the Scunthorpe defence and was put on a plate for substitute Theo Robinson to head home, sending Vale into the second round of the Carabao Cup for the first time since 2015.
The Valiants will be delighted with another positive performance, and John Askey’s side will be full of confidence going into Tuesday’s EFL Trophy clash with Tranmere Rovers at Vale Park.
Vale will find out our second round opponents of the Carabao Cup in Sunday’s second and third round draw live on Sky Sports, after the conclusion of Brentford vs Wycombe Wanderers (kick-off at 12:00pm).
Scunthorpe United: Watson, Bedeau, Colclough (Green 73’), Gilliead, Loft (Jarvis 77’), Eisa, Butroid, Spence, Vincent (Vincent 84’), Cordner, Hornshaw.
Unused subs: Kelsey, Dales, Hallam, O’Malley.
Port Vale: Brown, Mills, Legge, Smith, Fitzpatrick, Joyce, Burgess (Whitehead 76’), Conlon, Rodney, Worrall, Cullen (Robinson 73’).
Unused subs: Visser, Crookes, Brisley, Trickett-Smith, Hurst.