Huddersfield Town 4 Port Vale 0: Jack Payne puts Town back on the cup trail at last

Huddersfield Town head coach David Wagner said his belated first cup win in English football felt 'special.'
Jack Payne: Two goals from the striker helped Huddersfield Town overcome visitors Port Vale. (Picture: Steve Riding)Jack Payne: Two goals from the striker helped Huddersfield Town overcome visitors Port Vale. (Picture: Steve Riding)
Jack Payne: Two goals from the striker helped Huddersfield Town overcome visitors Port Vale. (Picture: Steve Riding)

Wagner, in charge at Town for 13 months, had failed to win any of his first three cup games, but victory over League One strugglers Port Vale was never in doubt.

A double from Jack Payne and goals from Kasey Palmer and Harry Bunn ensured the Terriers’ first win in any cup competition since August, 2014.

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Wagner said: “It certainly feels special. It was my first cup win and it was a long time coming.

“I think we did everything that could be expected in a cup match at home for a team in the Championship against one from League One.

“We controlled the game and speeded it up when we needed to and were patient and got the goals.”

Wagner praised striker Payne, signed from Southend last summer. He had only scored once before this season and Wagner said: “We know what a great talent he is. He has had many opportunities in front of goal, but what we wanted from him was to hit the target more often.

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“(On Saturday) he has not just hit the target, but hit the net. He has great skills and is very dangerous in the final third.”

Payne put Huddersfield ahead in the 28th minute when he fired in off a post.

Town dominated, but failed to take their chances and Vale held out until the 73rd minute when Palmer made it 2-0 with a deflected effort.

Bunn added a third in the 80th minute before Payne made it 4-0 four minutes later.

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Wagner made a series of changes, but said all his players would be needed in the weeks ahead as Town look to maintain a play-off challenge.

“We need players ready for the start of February,” he said. “Everybody knows we don’t have a big squad, but we are able to be successful with our rotation policy.”

Vale goalkeeper Jak Alnwick pulled off a great first-half save from Mark Hudson, but smashed his face on a post and needed treatment before limping off with an ankle injury.

Vale caretaker chief Michael Brown said: “Huddersfield are a good team. They brought on some fantastic subs and it was men against boys after that.”

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Huddersfield Town: Coleman, Cranie, Hudson, Stankovic, Holmes-Dennis, Billing (Mooy 67), Whitehead, Payne, Palmer, Lolley (Bunn 57), Brown (Smith 71). Unused substitutes: Ward, Wells, Schindler, Hefele.

Port Vale: Alnwick (Miguel Santos 59), Purkiss, Streete (Hart 39), Smith, Knops, de Freitas, Grant, Kelly, Taylor, Thomas (Forrester 75), Cicilia. Unused substitutes: Tavares, Pereira, Amoros, Shalaj.

Referee: G Eltringham (Tyne & Wear).