Sunderland head coach Regis Le Bris has hinted that his players lowered themselves to Port Vale’s level following their shock FA Cup exit.
The Black Cats travelled to Staffordshire as the heavy favourites to secure a place in the quarter final against a team currently sitting bottom of League One. A victory would have seen the Wearsiders secure a spot in the last eight for the first time since the 2013/14 season.
As expected, Sunderland dominated possession but found it difficult to break down their lower league opponents. They were rocked just past the half hour mark when attacker Ben Waine expertly guided a header into the far corner of the net.
The Premier League outfit had a handful of chances to get back into the game, most notably through Dan Ballard. However, they failed to find a way through, with Vale holding on to secure a famous victory.
Le Bris Unhappy With Performance
Sunderland had limped through to the fifth round to set up this clash. They required a penalty shootout to edge past Everton whilst a Habib Diarra spot kick was enough to pick up a narrow win over Championship side Oxford United in the previous round.
A trip to Vale Park was always likely to be a potential banana skin, especially with the condition of the playing surface. Speaking afterwards, Le Bris noted the poor conditions but hinted his players dropped their standards to allow the hosts in:
“In this competition, it’s more about mindset, fighting spirit, rather than the tactical or technical qualities.
“Probably, we were not consistent enough [in these areas].
“I think some of the players were at their level, but especially to create the solution today, we were not good enough. The pitch levels everything. It’s not an excuse, but it is what it is. The conditions are the conditions.
“Even with that, I think we should have found a solution, and it wasn’t the case. For our players, you always need to experience different situations. Sometimes it’s tough, and even negative, because of the result. I hope they will learn from this experience.”
Port Vale Latest Example Of FA Cup Magic
The FA Cup is renowned for giant killings, and this one is likely to one that is remembered for years to come. Port Vale are on the brink of relegation to League Two and there are currently 57 places between the two sides in the English football pyramid.
Port Vale in the FA Cup vs Port Vale in League One#pvfc pic.twitter.com/9axz6ivwwr
— The Deck (@TheDeckEFL) March 8, 2026
The Valiants have won just six league games all season, a fact made even more staggering when taking into account they have five FA Cup victories to their name. They also dispatched higher league opposition in the previous round when they beat Bristol City 1-0 after extra time earlier this week.
Jon Brady’s side are the lowest ranked team remaining in the competition, although recent years has seen some shock teams reach the quarter final. League Two’s Grimsby Town did so during the 2022/23 campaign whilst Lincoln City – then of the National League – were the big fairytale in 2017.
