Last-Place Port Vale Shocks Premier League in FA Cup

Port Vale is having the worst league season imaginable, anchored to the bottom of League One with just six wins in 32 games. But in cup competitions, they've transformed into giant killers who just made history.

The struggling club stunned Premier League side Sunderland 1-0 on Sunday, reaching the FA Cup quarterfinals for only the second time in their 170-year history. Their last appearance in the final eight came in 1954, when many of their current players' grandparents were still children.

The contrast between their league and cup performances reads like two completely different teams. Vale has now won seven cup matches this season but only six league games, scoring as many goals in cups as they have in the entire league campaign.

New Zealand striker Ben Waine scored the winning goal, making the victory even sweeter since he's a boyhood fan of Sunderland's fierce rivals Newcastle. The 24-year-old was so caught up in the moment that he didn't even realize they'd reached the quarterfinals until after the match.

Manager Jon Brady admitted he was "still in shock" and confessed he'd told his kids the team was only in the last 32 of the competition. The win came just days after Vale defeated Championship side Bristol City, showing their cup run is no fluke.

The Bright Side

After a brutal season that left Port Vale looking destined for relegation, the team has found something special when the stakes feel different. Five of their six league wins have come in 2025, with four arriving since Brady took charge in January, suggesting the cup confidence might finally be spreading.

Waine says the recent success has united a fractured squad during their darkest hour. "Over the last couple of weeks we have come together as a team and found something to drive us forward," he explained after making his childhood dreams come true against a top-flight opponent.

Vale will be the lowest-ranked team in the quarterfinals after fellow League One club Mansfield Town fell to Arsenal. While their league position remains desperate, they've proven that when the pressure lifts and they can play freely, this team has the heart to compete with anyone.

Sometimes the greatest stories come from the most unexpected places, and Port Vale is writing one that fans will remember long after this difficult season ends.