Date:                                       Venue:                                 
  03/09/2011                            Corbet Field

 Referee:                                 P Davison

Vale Recreation progressed through to the Quarter-Final stage of the Deloitte Jeremie Cup after a 3-1 victory over Jersey's St Peter at the Corbet Field.

Blair Howitt got the ball rolling after just two minutes before Miles Pengelley and substitute Ross Hanley added their names to the scoresheet to round off a good afternoon's work.

Stand-in coach Martin Gaudion's starting line-up included five changes from the Rawlinson Cup defeat by North. With the absence of defenders Geoff Robinson (work-tied), Rob Byrne (injured) and skipper Ross Elliott (unavailable) in stepped Tom de Garis, Kieren Guilbert and Dave Woodhead. Danny Ozanne returned into the midfield and Sean Mills started up front.

After just two minutes, Vale were off to the best possible start when Howitt picked up the ball wide on the left and delivered a high ball into the area which eluded everybody including the stranded keeper and sailed into the back of the net to break the deadlock.

St Peter then took the game to Vale in search of an equaliser and keeper Jody Bisson did well to save a goal-bound strike with his feet.

After 20 minutes the visitors were rewarded when Bisson failed to connect in an attempted punch from a free-kick and the ball sailed into an unguarded goal.

Vale continued to work hard and on the half-hour mark, Howitt smashed a free-kick goalwards which the keeper could only parry and Pengelley was on hand to sweep the ball into the net to give the home side the lead again.

St Peter immediately went on the attack and almost scored when a shot looped over Bisson but went wide past the post.

It was then Vale's turn to attack and after great work playing the ball from the back, Henry Carre forced his way through but in attempting to lob the keeper from 20 yards, lifted the ball over the bar.

The Jersey side almost started the second half as vale did the first when a header from a corner went just wide.

The game continued to ebb and flow and three minutes later Pengelley's header was cleared and from the resulting corner, Jack Byrne blasted over the bar.

Vale continued to close down at every opportunity, restricting St Peter to long range strikes which sailed harmlessly wide.

On 65 minutes, the pacey Ross Hanley came on for Sean Mills who had worked tirelessly all afternoon up front and five minutes later Karl Bisson was on for Carre.

St Peter continued to threaten in search of the equaliser and came close on 73 minutes when a shot looped over a stranded Bisson but came back off the bar.

The visitors then saw another strike sail over and Woodhead did well to clear a dangerous cross.

 With time running down it was Vale's turn to attack on the break and Howitt hit a speculative strike from 25 yards but his shot was high.

On 90 minutes with the Jersey side desperately seeking a goal, Vale cleared the ball up to Dave Cusack who beat two defenders to the ball and bearing down on goal, slotted the ball past the keeper for an on-rushing Hanley to tap in from close range to make it 3-1.

Vale saw out five minutes of injury time and a spirited and workmanlike performance saw the players get exactly what they deserved, a place in the Quarter-Final against either Guernsey Rovers or Jersey's St Pauls.

Vale Rec: J Bisson, Woodhead, Guilbert, De Garis, Pengelley, Howitt, Carre (K Bisson 72), J Byrne, Ozanne, Mills (Hanley 65), Cusack

Subs: Le Prevost

Goals: Howitt (2), Pengelley (28), Hanley (90)

Referee: Mr P Davison