Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough can now dream of emulating Steve McClaren’s class of 2004 by winning this competition and so double the Teesside club’s major trophy haul.
First, there is their semi-final to negotiate before any tilt at Wembley glory but they are entitled to picture themselves becoming Boro immortals and joining the starry lineup of 19 years ago.
The McClaren XI that beat Bolton 2-1 at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium featured Gareth Southgate, Mark Schwarzer, Gaizka Mendieta, Juninho and Boudewijn Zenden, whose seventh-minute penalty proved the winner. Carrick’s lineup is far more modest but, as a two-time winner in the competition when a cultured Manchester United midfielder, he has invaluable knowledge he can impart to his players.
Carrick said: “Football can be a beautiful thing and cup competitions can throw that up – we’re in the competition to go as far as we can. We’ll have to see – that’s the beauty of potential. I thought the players’ attitude was excellent.
“For me [the pleasure] was in seeing the happiness on their faces. We’re not stupid – we know whoever is in the draw will want to play us – but we have the chance to make a final, inspiration in itself. Sometimes the door of opportunity opens and I thought we ran through it tonight.”
Two of Boro’s potential opponents are Fulham and Chelsea, with Liverpool and West Ham to play the last quarter-final on Wednesday.
Port Vale had never previously reached the League Cup quarter‑finals so, while they ended the match disappointed, they can still be proud following an evening in which, simply, their visitors’ greater class was the difference.
“Port Vale, this is the quarter-final of the Carabao Cup!” was the stadium MC’s salvo before a blast of Robbie Williams’s Let Me Entertain You that had the ground rocking. The party mood, though, lasted precisely 12 minutes as Carrick’s men struck via Jonny Howson, whose 20-yard shot careered off Jason Lowe to give Connor Ripley no chance.
Boro’s second soon followed. Sammy Silvera received the ball courtesy of a Conor Grant slip and his delivery from the right was blazed home by an unmarked Morgan Rogers. Vale, winded, needed to retain hope and they did when Ethan Chislett surged along the left and produced a cross that Gavin Massey volleyed with a leap but his connection was wild and high.
The issue for Andy Crosby’s men was how, in piling numbers forward, they were being caught in possession too frequently. They had to gamble because of the score – but the prudent course was to wait a little longer before committing fully to attack.
Middlesbrough arrived 13th in the Championship but only six points from a playoff berth while Vale were 15th in the next division down and illustrating why their goal difference is -11. When Matt Crooks jogged through as the break neared, only a sliced hoof that sent the ball over saved Vale from a 3-0 deficit.
After the away end sang “Ripley, Ripley, what’s the score?” to the home keeper, who was born in Middlesbrough and is the son of Stuart – himself a former Boro winger and still a fan favourite – the third goal sailed beyond him. Crooks’s aim from around 15 yards was unerring. Rogers supplied the assist.
This came five minutes into the second period and was game over as Ripley had to contend with further choruses of “What’s the score?” plus a hearty rendition of “He’s gonna cry in a minute”. There was, however, a sobering moment as Ollie Arblaster – on loan from Sheffield United – required treatment and was forced off. “He has a bad gash, and has gone to hospital,” Crosby said. “So he is our No 1 concern at the moment.”
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Carrick’s side were in control, tapping the ball about from the back to each wing, purring upfield at will, shifting those in white shirts about as if they were Subbuteo figures. A raid along the left engineered space for Silvera to tease the ball between his feet and shoot but narrowly miss.
A multipass sequence impressed and made the contest resemble a Boro training exercise. Then came a rare chance for Chislett, but it was a powder-puff effort that Tom Glover caught under no pressure, in what was his first bit of work.
The Vale congregation was becalmed – a telling sign of the opponents’ ascendancy – and many started to drift away on what was a cold night in the Potteries. You could hardly blame them because their side were still being schooled as this tie petered out.
