Non-league Shortwood United hosted Port Vale in the first round of the FA Cup on Monday night.
Shortwood, who compete in the Southern League Division One South & West, were making their first ever appearance in the first round.
The Gloucestershire side beat Egham Town, Aylesbury, Dorchester Town, Didcot Town and Conference outfit Aldershot Town during the qualifying phases of this year's competition.
However, they were unable to continue their fairytale run, as Vale recorded a 4-0 win to earn a home tie with Salisbury City in round two.
To find out how the game reached its conclusion, revisit the action below with Sports Mole's blow-by-blow text updates.
Hello and thanks for joining Sports Mole for tonight’s clash between David and Goliath’s little brother.
This is Shortwood United’s maiden voyage into the FA Cup first round proper. Prior to this season, the Woods’ best run in the Cup had seen them reach the third qualifying round.
It took just 90 minutes for all 1,300 tickets for this match to be sold. Conversely, just 145 supporters watched the club's last home league game. Tonight's match is being broadcast live by BT Sport. Shortwood have never previously been live on TV.
Despite Shortwood’s heroics in the Cup this season, the Gloucestershire club have taken just nine points from nine league matches. They currently sit 19th in the Southern League Division One South & West, although they do have four games in hand over most of their rivals.
Meanwhile, Vale are currently placed 12th in the League One table with 20 points from 15 games. The Burslem club are 125 places above Shortwood in England's football pyramid.
Vale boss Micky Adams (pictured above) and his men go into tonight's match looking to record their fourth away win of the season, having earned league wins at Carlisle United, Tranmere Rovers and Crawley Town.
Shortwood have two managers. PE teacher Alex Sykes and John Evans, who describes himself as a "man of leisure". Let's take a look at their team selection...
Shortwood XI: King, Avery, Bennett, Parrott, Coates, Pritchett, Baldwin, Haddock, Culley, Hancock, Mann. Subs: Brown, Slack, Langworthy, Axton, Cant, Lawson, Herbert.
Asked if he is nervous, joint manager Sykes tells BT Sport: "Now that all of the media bits are out of the way, I'm ok actually."
Sykes adds that he has had a busy day at school, including "five lessons and a department meeting".
Then, when asked how confident he is of causing an upset tonight, he says: "We've had them watched, but we're realistic. It's the equivalent of them going to Bayern Munich. But we've got a great set of lads and they're going to work their bits off for us."
Here is the Port Vale team: Neal, Yates, Robertson, Chilvers, Dickinson, Birchall, Lines, Griffith, Myrie-Williams, Pope, Hughes. Subs: Johnson, Dodds, Tomlin, Shuker, Williamson, Duffy, Hugill.
Vale have made three changes following their 5-2 defeat at Swindon Town. Chris Birchall, Lee Hughes and Jennison Myrie-Williams come in for Ben Williamson, Doug Loft and Louis Dodds, who is on the bench despite sustaining a bad cut over his eye in training.
Manager Adams, speaking to BT Sport: "Mentally, we must get it right for a start. Physically, it might take us a while, but hopefully we can wear them down."
Adams adds: "If we get through this round then we'll have a really good chance of getting to the third round, which has the potential to get us lots of revenue."
It's November 11, so there is a pre-match minute's silence, which is impeccably observed. Right then, it's GAME TIME. Here we go...
Eighth-tier Shortwood make a lively start. Duncan Culley, who has already scored six FA Cup goals this season, tries his luck from the edge of the area, but his shot is well blocked.
Vale look a bit rattled early on. The pitch is in very good condition, ideal for passing, but Adams's men have yet to really get the ball down so far.
The visitors launch their first genuine attack as Lee Hughes dances into the box, past a sea of defenders, before Mark Pritchett executes a well-timed sliding tackle to give Vale a corner. Chris Lines's delivery is decent, but Shortwood are organised and clear the danger.
Up the other end, the lively Culley commits the Vale defence, racing to the byeline and winning the hosts' first corner, which is headed behind by Hughes for another, which is caught well by Chris Neal.
GOAL! SHORTWOOD UNITED 0-1 PORT VALE (Myrie-Williams)
The League One side take the lead as Tom Pope wins a flick on from a throw-in to find Birchall, who runs at the heart of the Shortwood defence before playing the ball left to Myrie-Williams, who drives low across goal into the bottom corner.
Vale have settled nicely now. Myrie-Williams causes more problems for Shortwood with a tricky dribble down the left. However, on this occasion, Sam Avery halts his progress with an important challenge.
CHANCE! It should be 2-0 to Vale. Pope, who has scored seven goals so far this season, is presented with a free header in the six-yard box. If he places his effort either side of the keeper he scores, but instead he nods straight into Tom King's arms.
Shortwood register their first shot on target as Matthew Bennett tries his luck from long range. It's a good effort, but Chris Neal makes a comfortable save.
SAVE! A long ball is aimed at Pope, who unsettles the defender, forcing him into a tame headed clearance. The ball then falls to Hughes and the former West Brom striker displays terrific technique to unleash a stinging volley, which King untidily parries to safety.
GOAL! SHORTWOOD UNITED 0-2 PORT VALE (Birchall)
It's a fairly rare sight, but Micky Adams has a smile on his face! His team double their lead as Lines's cross is flicked on by Hughes to Pope. His effort is well saved, but the rebound falls to Birchall, who taps in from four yards.
Birchall, who has been capped 43 times by Trinidad and Tobago, is one of two senior internationals in Vale's team tonight. The other is Montserrat midfielder Anthony Griffith. Shortwood also have a couple of players who have performed on the world stage. Midfield duo James Baldwin and Jake Parrott were part of the Great British team that won silver medals at the World University Games in Kazan this summer. A crowd of 15,000 watched GB lose 3-2 to France in the final.
Talk of the devil, Griffith forces his way into the action, having a go from 25 yards. His strike is poor though, flying high and wide.
Parrott finds Adam Mann, who cracks a low drive at goal from the edge of the penalty area. His effort is well blocked.
This is a good spell from Shortwood. Nick Hancock crosses for Culley, whose header from the centre of the box is well saved by Neal.
BOOKINGS! Carl Dickinson and James Coates clash during their attempts to win a loose ball. The pair both end up in a heap on the floor, where they exchange handbags. Pope then storms onto the scene to add his unwelcome opinion. The referee decides that Pope and Coates deserve yellow cards.
HALF TIME: SHORTWOOD UNITED 0-2 PORT VALE
A very good opening 45 minutes from Vale, who, after a shaky start, have managed to dominate possession with 56%.
The League One side have hit nine shots, seven of which have been on target. Meanwhile, the hosts have registered seven attempts (two on target).
Vale have not been a soft touch in the tackle, committing seven of the game's 10 fouls so far.
The sides have had four corners each.
Vale's biggest win of the season so far was a 3-0 success at Crawley. The way tonight's game is set, I fancy them to break that record.
Shortwood chairman Peter Webb disagrees with me. He thinks that his side can get back into the tie. "Of course we can," he told BT Sport. "We've got to get an early goal. But we will be kicking towards our favourite end in the second half."
We shall see. The players are back on the field and the second half is just seconds away...
Vale have made a composed start to the second period, keeping the ball nicely. Once again, Griffith fancies his chances from long range. However, once again, he is unable to hit the target.
Griffith goes in hard on Parrott. He wins the ball, but unfairly so according to the referee, who awards Shortwood a free kick on the halfway line. The set piece is launched forward, but it drifts out for a throw in.
Tim Haddock earns a rousing round of applause from the crowd, which has been officially announced as 1,247, by forcing Neal into a decent save with a well-hit drive from long range.
BOOKING! Culley gets a deserved yellow card for a late lunge on Chris Robertson.
The atmosphere has gone a bit flat inside the Meadowbank Ground. Vale are doing a good job of taking the sting out of this match.
Myrie-Williams gets in behind Shortwood down the left. He finds Hughes in the six-yard box, but the shiny-headed front man is crowded out by defenders who manage to clear for a corner, which comes to nothing.
SUBS: Hughes is being replaced by former Glenn Hoddle Academy graduate Ben Williamson. Meanwhile, the hosts also make a change as Kevin Slack replaces Nick Hancock.
BOOKING! Liam Chilvers earns himself a yellow card for a bad foul on Slack.
CHANCE! Williamson is straight into the action, selling the left-back a dummy before racing clear down the wing. He then plays a nicely-weighted pass into the path of Birchall, who steps over the ball in anticipation of a teammate arriving behind him. However, there is no Vale player behind him and the chance is wasted. Poor judgement from Birchall, who could have scored himself.
WOODWORK! Dickinson swings in a hanging cross for Pope, who gets up well and directs a firm header that hits the underside of the crossbar.
SUB: Louis Dodds replaces goalscorer Birchall for Vale.
SUB: Shortwood's Alton Axton comes on in place of Matthew Bennett.
A Port Vale corner is only half-cleared and Dodds collects a high ball 25 yards out, before hooking a volley just over the bar.
SUB: Jordan Hugill comes on to make his third first-team appearance for Vale. Pope departs.
SUB: The final change of the night sees John Cant replace Tim Haddock.
CHANCE! Hugill spurns a wonderful opportunity to net his first goal for Vale. He attacks Lines's deep free kick, but plants his firm header just off target.
CHANCE! Hugill goes close again. This time his dispossesses Avery in the right-back position before aiming an instinctive effort just wide of the near post.
PENALTY TO PORT VALE! Hugill squares to Dodds, whose initial shot is blocked legitimately. However, the ball comes back to him and his second effort hits the arm of Coates.
GOAL! SHORTWOOD UNITED 0-3 PORT VALE (Myrie-Williams)
Unstoppable top-corner penalty from Myrie-Williams, who completes his first brace since September 2012.
GOAL! SHORTWOOD UNITED 0-4 PORT VALE (Lines)
Lines puts the icing on the cake for Vale with a very good header from Myrie-Williams's cross.
FULL TIME: SHORTWOOD UNITED 0-4 PORT VALE
Vale cruise through to the second round and a home clash with Salisbury. The dream is over for Shortwood, who must now return to reality and focus on a weekend trip to Thatcham Town.
Shortwood co-manager John Evans tells BT Sport: "I was proud of our boys tonight. They did absolutely magnificently. Vale's superior fitness eventually told in the end, but we gave it a right good go. The fans were brilliant as well."
Vale boss Micky Adams then pays a few kind compliments to the defeated hosts, before adding: "The result perhaps flattered us in the end."
Personally, I don't think that the result did flatter Vale. They produced a very assured and mature performance. They were vastly superior in all departments.
The statistics seem to support my version of events. Vale registered 23 shots (11 on target), while Shortwood recorded 10 shots (three on target).
Vale had six of the game's 10 corners, as well as a 55% share of possession.
That concludes our live coverage of events in Gloucestershire. Thank you for following tonight's game with Sports Mole. Goodnight.
Written by
Robert Summerscales
Robert Summerscales
