FA Cup: Port Vale advances to quarter-finals after 72 years; Southampton stuns Fulham

Third-tier strugglers Port Vale overcame the shock of the FA Cup fifth round to beat Premier League Sunderland 1-0 to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 1954 on Sunday.

Ben Waine’s goal in the 28th minute proved enough to seal a famous win for the Vale Park club, who are in danger of relegation from League One this season.

There was another surprise earlier on Sunday, albeit a milder one, when Premier League Fulham were beaten 1-0 at home by second division Southampton rfv10.

However, Leeds United avoided defeat for Premier League clubs on Sunday as they beat champion club Norwich City 3-0 with goals from Sean Longstaff, Gabriel Gudmundsson and Joel Piroe at Elland Road.

Southampton became the first non-Premier League club to reach the quarter-finals of this season’s competition thanks to a late penalty from substitute Ross Stewart after Finn Azaz was brought down in the area by Joachim Andersen.

It was later joined by Port Vale.

Sunderland, in the middle of the Premier League and 57 places above League One bottom club Port Vale, wapedestrian against its excited host and paid the penalty.

Waine headed in after Sunderland failed to clear a corner, and the hosts deservedly held on despite some late pressure.

WAINE PERFORMS SHEARER CELEBRATION

The 24-year-old New Zealand international, who also scored the winner against second-tier Bristol City in a delayed fourth-round tie in midweek, celebrated in the manner of former Newcastle United striker Alan Shearer, with one arm raised.

“We’re kind of on a roll right now,” Waine said. “I know it wasn’t pretty to watch, but we dug in so hard and I think we deserved it.”

Vale manager Jon Brady said while he was proud of his team, the result was a ‘pain in the bum’ as it will add to the club’s push in the battle to avoid the fourth tier.

“I’m actually a little bit in shock,” said Brady, who took over in January. “Today it went the way we wanted.”

Sunderland reached the 40-point mark in their return campaign to the Premier League this week and are almost certainly safe, but Sunday’s result put a dampener on their campaign.

«The Premier League is our first goal, 100 percent. We tried to be strong with the players we had. We trained well for that. If you don’t show enough you are punished, and that is what happened today,» said manager Regis Le Bris.

Former winners Southampton are back in the quarter-finals, having reached that stage in 2020/21 and 2021/22, and thoroughly deserved to face a lackluster Fulham.

Even before Stewart’s injury-time penalty, Fulham keeper Benjamin Lecomte was forced into saves from Azaz and Tom ‌Fellows as the visitor played better football.

Southampton and Port Vale join a powerful-looking quartet that has already progressed to the last eight, with Arsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea and Liverpool in the hat for the quarter-finals.

West Ham United plays against Brentford on Monday.

Published on March 9, 2026