Sat 8th Dec 2001.

Cardiff City
Alexander
Gabbidon
Prior
Young
Legg (Weston 77)
Boland
Bonner
Kavanagh
Bowen (Brayson 72)
Gordon, G (Leo FW 72)
Earnshaw

Subs not used
Maxwell
Low

Port Vale
Goodlad
Carragher
Burton
Ingram
Rowland
McPhee
McClare
Byrne (Paynter 65)
O Callagham (Dodd 81)
Cummins
Brooker

Subs not used
Delaney
Donnelly
Maye

Report from Neil David (in place of NigelBlues).
Cardiff eased their way through to the third round proper of the FA CUP and a chance to be drawn against big opposition with a their third successive home win within a week.

Alan Cork was forced into two changes from the team that dealt so admirably with Brentford last Tuesday. Andy Legg replaced the on-loan Dean Gordon at left back, while up front, the luckless Peter Thorne's place was given to the fit again Gavin Gordon, it harshly meant that the rejuvenated Fortune-West had to make do with a place on the bench again.

For their part, Vale also had their troubles. Manager Brian Horton had blasted his side after watching them being so lamely dumped out of the LDV and to add err injury to insult they were also fighting with a growing injury list which had seen another two first team regulars, Brisco and Armstrong put out of contention.

Sticking with the new 4-2-2-2 formation, the early encounters owed more to City's ability to withstand the harsh physical punishment being dished out by the Vale players.Gavin Gordon seemed to be having a particularly hard time of it welcome back to first team football Gav!

After an indifferent first 15 minutes of Vale fouls/bookings and sometimes baffling refereeing decisions, City began to knock the ball around impressively. Boland and Bonner were as usual central to this, controlling the midfield they again showed how vital their roles have become to the teams recent up turn in form. They chase and harry everything, they help break down attacks, provide straightforward efficient link work when going forward. But most importantly, they provide that bite in midfield we've been lacking all year.

City started launching a series of attacks on the Vale goal, which signalled it was only a matter of time before they scored. Kavanagh's shoot on sight policy was peppering the goal from all angles, Earnie was giving the centre backs a torrid time with his pace, Bowen seemed to be everywhere. A good example of this was from some neat build up play in midfield saw an inch perfect pass to Bowen on the left wing. He chose to hit it hard and low with incredible accuracy splitting the defence completely apart. The ball ran to Gordon on the 6-yard line and with the entire goal at his mercy somehow managed to miss the ball completely and watch it drift out of play. Maybe it's down to his long layoff but, after this his confidence seemed to dip dramatically and although he can take heart that he was getting into good positions his all round play suffered. Indeed he went on to miss a second glorious chance with only the keeper to beat about 10 minutes later as the half  wore on he looked way off the pace. City's heavy pressure finally paid off around the 25-minute mark. It started with one of Leggy's trade mark long throws. The long ball from the right found Scott Young inside the 18 yard area who nodded it firmly toward the 6 yard line. EARNSHAW was first to react amongst a small group of players by sending a sweet looping header over the struggling keeper Goodlad. The resulting celebrations must have cost him £2000 as he  went through his full list of celebrations. Somersault; head in the jersey and new one of onto the railings of the Bob. Just to make sure we were all aware, he did his trade mark point to his name, Earnie we know who you are mate!

For their part, Vale were limited to a couple of chances. A poor header from Ingram early on, which Alexander comfortably dealt with and a low drive from Cummins, which saw the young Scot diving smartly to his right was all really they had to offer in the first 45 minutes.

The Comedy award of the game went to Vales "plucky!" striker Mcphee. Whilst going for a 50/50 ball with Prior, the ball ran into the penalty area with Prior and Mcphee chasing. Prior timed his tackle brilliantly and simply took the ball off the little striker. Realising he was now in the penalty area Mcphee fell in slow motion with one of the most ludicrous dives I've ever seen. Ref Probert stopped the game, the resulting in a mass intake of breath from everyone in the ground turned to hoots of derision as he gave City the freekick and booked the hapless Mcphee for diving. He continued protesting his innocence all the way back to the half way line affecting the most over the top Norman Wisdom type limp. McPhee did himself no favours by allowing this limp to miraculously disappear almost immediately by chasing the ball returning from the freekick. The bob bank told him what they thought of him for then next half-hour!

By now City were in complete control but amazingly didn't add to their total. Partly though a combination of bad finishing, smart goalkeeping and near misses from in turn Gordon (soft shot), Earnshaw (cracking volley followed by an equally cracking save), Kavangh (Shot just wide) and Young (offside, disallowed goal) insured we finished the half incredibly strongly but amazingly only one goal to the good

Half Time Cardiff 1 Port Vale 0

One of the biggest criticisms of city recent performances has been the way they start the second half. Maybe it's Corky's half time teams talks send them all into a collective stupor but almost straight from the off Port Vale worked their way across the midfield and a smart little cross from the left brought a great header from Brooker which went narrowly wide.  This was the wake up call they needed because almost straight away City started pressing again. From about a third into Vales half a deep (miss hit!) cross from Leggy went high into the air and resulted in the nightmare goalkeeping error. As the ball came down Goodlad jumped with no challenge, somehow on his way down he managed to drop the ball at the feet of GORDON. Gav reacted to quickly toe poke the ball in from about 3 yards out. This was hard luck on Goodlad who had until that moment been Vales best player and had kept them in the game. Of course, football is all about confidence and while Goodlad started going downhill, Gordon on the other hand for the next 10 minutes became central to all City's attacks. He started showing aggression and a will to win all those 50/50 balls he had been losing throughout the first half. He almost added a second 5 minutes later when he found himself going in on goal having beaten the centre half but scuffed his shot into the grateful arms of the keeper.

All credit to Vale at this point as the game became far more even. Followinga couple of Vale substitutions, they started to make their presence felt as they changed their formation and chased the game. They started battling and again with Kav dropping back City looked too strong to be broken. The
nearest they came was McPhee narrowly shooting over after an injured Leggy lost the ball on the left. As Vale started to press they were almost caught out again by Earnie, he broke quickly into their half leaving a trail of chasing centre halves but unfortunately his second touch let him down as he over ran it with Goodlad reacting quickly off his line to save.

Around the 70-minute mark City made a couple of changes Big Leo replaced a very tired looking Gordon, while Brays came on for Bowen. Love him or loath him Leo has certainly changed his attitude recently. For me he has improved all round and whilst he will never be a Peter Thorne, in fairness he will always be problem to whoever we play.  I'm sure he must be less than impressed not to be in the starting line-up, especially after his good performance against Brentford. He did more than enough to keep the jersey and again today he reminded Alan Cork just how well he is doing by coming on and scoring within a couple of minutes of him being on the pitch. A clever Kavangh cross from the left saw a defensive mix up which had the ball being headed to FORTUNE_WEST 6 yards out. Leo smashed the ball home and with it Vale out of the cup.

By now the atmosphere at Ninian Park was fantastic, a disappointing 9600 crowd were as passionate as ever. The few hundred Vale fans that had made the trip started skulking out to cries of Cheerio Cheerio Cheerio. Bizarrely the police moved in to the away enclosure and removed 2 or 3 of the Vale lads, it looked over the top as they had seemed pretty quiet but who knows what had gone on down there!

Just after the goal, having played a great game and contributed directly to two of our goals Leggy went off with what seemed to be an eye injury. Weston came on and the resulting reshuffle meant Gabby went to the left and Weston slotted back into right.

The game finished for Cardiff on a high with great passing and a few more half chances for Brayson, Leo, Weston and Earnie all going close. With City going into the third round for the fifth successive time maybe this time we'll get that long awaited premeirship team but after watching the best home performance of the year I don't care who we play as long as we keep playing like that.

For me the most satisfying aspect along with keeping the clean sheet (only our second in 10 games!) was the strong performances throughout out the team. Scott Young got the sponsors MOTM, but to be honest it could have been anyone from half a dozen Boland, Bonner, Prior, Kav, Bowen were all in with a shout. The strong performances of the team as a whole must leave Cork with a number of selection headaches for next weeks visit to Bloomfield Road. Leggy or Dean Gordon? , Leo or Gav, and of course Brayson is always in with a shout. It isn't easy, who would you pick?
Full Time Cardiff 3 Port Vale 0

Report from www.sports.com
Cardiff City fully deserved their three goal victory margin with an impressive display of creative football against a struggling Port Vale, who were outplayed throughout.

Port Vale made an early assault on the Cardiff goal but a tame Rae Ingram header was comfortably saved by keeper Neil Alexander .

Cardiff launched a series of impressive attacks and the Vale keeper Mark Goodlad made a superb save in the 12th minute to deny Cardiff captain Graham Kavanagh's 20-yard thunderbolt.

A minute later Bluebirds keeper Alexander made a fine save to foil a low right-footed 12-yard shot from Port Vale midfielder Michael Cummins.

Cardiff missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring in the 22nd minute when striker Gavin Gordon narrowly failed to make contact from a couple of yards, with the goal at his mercy.

The Bluebirds, playing with confidence, gained control of midfield and took a deserved lead four minutes later as a long throw from Andy Legg was headed toward goal by defender Scott Young and the unmarked striker Robert Earnshaw nodded the ball from close-range into the net past a sprawling Goodlad to record his 10th goal of the season.

Both keepers were kept busy and Alexander in the Cardiff goal denied the Valiants in the 35th minute, saving well a header from Steve McPhee following a menacing cross from Matt Carragher.

Goodlad then made an outstanding save seven minutes before half-time with a brilliant acrobatic effort to punch away a 20-yard lob volley from the menacing Earnshaw.

The Vale were spared a second goal on the stroke of half-time as another Kavanagh pile-driver from 20 yards screamed inches wide of the post.

Cardiff increased their lead four minutes into the second half with a high left-footed cross from Legg which saw keeper Goodlad and defender Ingram collide. As the ball dropped Gordon prodded home into an empty net from a couple of yards.

Five minutes later Gordon met a dangerous cross from Jason Bowen but this time his glancing header went narrowly wide.

Port Vale - in one of their rare attacks - should have scored in the 64th minute but striker Steve McPhee volleyed high over the bar from eight yards with keeper Alexander stranded.

The Bluebirds, urged on by their vociferous fans, went further ahead in the 75th minute as the visitors' defence failed to clear and lanky substitute striker Leo Fortune-West pivoted and smashed a left-foot shot past the helpless Goodlad.

External match reports
BBC Wales
Wales On Sunday
Port Vale website