Charlton striker is hit by ban following Vale Park incident

THERE was plenty said following Port Vale’s 1-0 win at home to Charlton last week, but it turns out the FA have had the last word. Addicks striker Jayden Stockley has been given a three-game ban for an off-the-ball foul on Nathan Smith not picked up by the officials at the time.

Charlton manager Ben Garner had been rather sniffy about Vale’s approach in that game, labelling them ‘anti-football’ for, in his view, not sharing Charlton’s attacking ambitions.

Speaking after the game, the manager gave his views on the match, saying: “Horrible, would be my summary. A horrible pitch. A horrible performance. A very disappointing afternoon. The way they [Port Vale] play, they play anti-football.

“They just want to stop you. We weren’t good enough with the ball. I don’t think we fought enough without it. Didn’t show enough brightness. And then we give a horrendous goal away.

“That gives them something to hold on to and they can kill the game.”

So, Stockley’s retrospective ban, for a 22nd-minute incident, won’t have gone unnoticed at Vale Park.

The FA said: “Charlton Athletic FC’S Jayden Stockley has been suspended for three games after breaching FA Rule E1.1 during their EFL League One match against Port Vale FC on Saturday 19 November 2022.

“The forward’s behaviour during the 22nd minute of the game was not seen by the match officials but an incident was captured on video. In response to a charge, he admitted that his actions constituted violent conduct and accepted the standard penalty.”

Vale haven’t commented directly on Garner’s views of their football style, but assistant boss Andy Crosby spoke this week about how his team’s approach is developing since promotion in May.

Speaking after the 2-1 win at home to Barnsley in the Papa Johns Trophy on Tuesday, he said: “We are trying to evolve our style.

“I think the ball becomes more important the higher up you go. We are not Barcelona or Manchester City and we are not claiming to be. But we are trying to introduce certain things, certain passages of our play, certain triggers when maybe we can get the goalkeeper involved in the build up phase.”

· VALE have been installed as fourth favourites to win the Papa John’s Trophy after continuing their 100 per cent record in this season’s competition with Tuesday’s win at home to fellow League One side Barnsley.

Thursday’s draw handed them an away tie at Salford in the last 16 when Vale will be hoping for a result like their 1-0 win at the Peninsula Stadium in April on their way to promotion.

The last 16 draw was regionalised into North and South sections but beyond that it’s an open draw.

Thanks to Vale historian Phil Sherwin for pointing out that the last time Vale got past the last 16, they won the competition in 2001.

The club have got their hands on this Trophy twice, beating Stockport County at Wembley under John Rudge in the 1993 final then beating Brentford under Brian Horton in that 2001 final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

This season’s joint-favourites, according to the bookies, are Portsmouth and Bolton, followed by Plymouth and then Vale.

The Vale have made £70,000 from this year’s competition in prize money and entry fee.

That’s made up of £20,000 for entering, £10,000 for each of their three group wins and £20,000 for beating Barnsley in the last 32. Winners in the round of 16 will each receive £40,000 prize money.

Barnsley’s goal on Tuesday, scored by their on-loan Stoke City defender Tom Edwards, was the first Vale have conceded in the competition having got through their group with a 1-0 win at home to Stockport County, 4-0 victory at Shrewsbury Town and 2-0 win at home to Wolves under21s.

The last 16 games are due to be played in the week beginning Monday December 12.

We’ll see how that is affected by the World Cup semi-finals which are on the Tuesday and Wednesday of that week (both 7pm according to your reporter’s World Cup wallchart).

The full draw for the last 16 of the Trophy is as follows. (Northern section): Salford City v Port Vale; Bolton v Manchester United U21s; Lincoln City v Everton U21s or Mansfield Town; Burton Albion v Accrington Stanley.

(Southern section) Portsmouth v Stevenage, Cheltenham Town v Chelsea U21s, Bristol Rovers v Milton Keynes Dons, Plymouth Argyle v AFC Wimbledon.

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