Port Vale booked their place at the new Wembley for the first time in the club’s history — but their dramatic playoff penalty shootout victory over Swindon Town was marred by ugly scenes at full time.
After Ellis Iandolo missed the deciding spot kick for the visiting side, Swindon players were confronted following a pitch invasion by Vale fans continuing a worrying trend of invasions in recent weeks.
Town boss Ben Garner said: “What they [the Swindon players] have had to put up with coming off that pitch… players have been physically and verbally abused. I know I’ve seen it in some of the other play-off games. I don’t know where we’re going as a country – it’s absolutely disgusting.”
Swindon right-back Mandela Egbo accused Port Vale fans of attacking him during the pitch invasion, later posting on Twitter: “How you scummy fans get two free shots and only manage a scratch? And I’m supposed to keep my cool — if I react I’m the bad guy right.”
The latest troubling scenes came just two days after Sheffield United captain Billy Sharp was headbutted by a Nottingham Forest supporter after his side’s play-off defeat. Forest season ticket holder Robert Biggs, 30, was jailed for 24 weeks on Thursday after pleading guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
Swindon held the upper hand on arrival at Vale Park with a Harry McKirdy brace enough to give them a 2-1 win at the County Ground.
James Wilson, the scorer for Vale in the first leg, was the focal point for the home side with top scorer Jamie Proctor missing out with a hip injury. The 30-year-old, enjoying his best season in senior football with 12 goals and five assists in the regular season, featured in the first leg after receiving a painkilling injection into his hip but failed a medical before the decider.
Starting in his place was Kian Harratt, leading from the front with intensity as Vale got off to a bright start and applied early pressure. With manager Clarke back in the dugout after taking a leave of absence earlier in the year, his orders barked from the technical area with the support of assistant manager Andy Crosby. Vale were high on confidence as Wilson saw an early chance flash wide.
He did not make the same mistake when he turned in from a Ben Garrrity cross at close range a few minutes later to give his side hope of a shot at ending their four-year spell in League Two. The home side were dominant in the first half but Swindon responded well after the break, with the best chance of the half falling to Town’s Mathieu Baudry who turned a shot over the bar.
With the score locked at 2-2 on aggregate, extra time was not short of drama after Clarke was sent off in a melee over a disputed throw-in and was left to watch the remainder of the game from a hospitality suite.
In the end, penalties were needed to separate the two sides — an ironic twist of fate for Vale, not awarded a single penalty from open play all season but who saw their season decided by them as they won 6-5.
They will face Mansfield Town, 3-1 winners on aggregate over Northampton Town on the other side of the play-off semi-final draw with Nigel Clough’s side aiming for a return to the third tier for the first time in 20 years. Their 1-0 win on the night at a rain-soaked Sixfields came against the run of play as Northampton were caught out trying to play Stephen Quinn offside only for Elliott Hewitt to sneak through and drill in a cross for Stephen McLaughlin to turn home.
Mansfield will be a tricky opponent for Vale, as shown in their stubborn defensive showing against Northampton, who threw everything at them in the final throes of the tie only to be met with block after block in a committed defensive showing. Drenched Northampton fans watching on from the grassy bank overlooking the sold-out stadium must have been wondering what they had done to deserve the last two weeks of bad luck — out in the play-offs after an incredible 7-0 final day victory for Bristol Rovers against Scunthorpe United saw them pipped to the final automatic promotion place.
🎟️ Could that be @mansfieldtownfc's ticket to Wembley?#EFLPlayOffs | #StepUp pic.twitter.com/T6QUJ1g8gA
— Sky Bet League Two (@SkyBetLeagueTwo) May 18, 2022
“Penalties aren’t down to luck,” said Clarke, who apologised for being sent off. “It’s about practising them and that’s what we did. We were two goals down in the tie but these lads never know when they’re beaten. And it was a bit ironic that it went to penalties when we haven’t had one in over a year.
“It should make for a right good tear-up at Wembley (against Mansfield). It’s my hometown club and the place where my eldest daughter was born, so it will be an emotional day.”
Vale’s Wembley record broken, one game is between them and a hard-earned place in League One.
(Top Photo: Nick Potts/PA Images via Getty Images)