Middlesbrough booked their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the first time since they won the trophy in 2004 as they comfortably saw off Port Vale in freezing cold Burslem.
Michael Carrick’s men made light of being drawn away for a fifth straight round as they eased to victory.
Jonny Howson’s deflected shot and Morgan Rogers’ strike put Boro 2-0 up inside 23 minutes.
Matt Crooks then wrapped up an easy quarter-final triumph on 53 minutes.
Vale’s only moment of hope came in only the fourth minute when Ethan Chislett was just off target with an early free-kick.
But Championship promotion contenders Boro did not take long to show their greater cutting edge against their League One hosts.
Captain Howson fired a right-foot shot from the edge of the box that deflected off Jason Lowe to loop over Vale keeper Connor Ripley.
Boro old boy Ripley was then beaten for a second time when Sam Silvera pulled back for Rogers, who found the bottom corner from the edge of the box.
Eight minutes into the second half, Crooks got the third after being fed on the edge of the box, holding off Vale defender Lowe and side-footing into the bottom right corner.
Boro now face a two-leg semi-final in January, guaranteed to be against Premier League opposition, as they go into Wednesday’s draw, which follows the fourth quarter-final between Liverpool and West Ham United.
Line-ups
Port Vale
Formation 3-4-2-1
- 1Ripley
- 27Debrah
- 16LoweSubstituted forSangat 77′minutes
- 5BalmerBooked at 50minsSubstituted forIacovittiat 51′minutesBooked at 80mins
- 19MasseySubstituted forIkpeazuat 77′minutes
- 14OjoSubstituted forLoftat 45′minutesBooked at 60mins
- 18ArblasterSubstituted forWaltersat 59′minutes
- 15Grant
- 11Devine
- 10Chislett
- 8Garrity
Substitutes
- 4Sang
- 6Smith
- 9Loft
- 12Ikpeazu
- 13Leutwiler
- 17Iacovitti
- 24Walters
- 25Dipepa
- 30Lomax
Middlesbrough
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 23Glover
- 15Dijksteel
- 6Fry
- 5ClarkeBooked at 4mins
- 27Engel
- 16Howson
- 4Barlaser
- 18Silvera
- 25CrooksSubstituted forBanguraat 77′minutes
- 10RogersBooked at 10minsSubstituted forMcCabeat 83′minutes
- 9Latte LathSubstituted forJonesat 45′minutesSubstituted forKavanaghat 73′minutes
Substitutes
- 11Jones
- 14Gilbert
- 22Coulson
- 24Bangura
- 32Jones
- 38Nkrumah
- 48Kavanagh
- 49McCabe
- 57Bilongo
- Referee:
- Michael Salisbury
- Attendance:
- 12,006
Live Text
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Match ends, Port Vale 0, Middlesbrough 3.
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Second Half ends, Port Vale 0, Middlesbrough 3.
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Attempt missed. Alex Bangura (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from the left side of the box is close, but misses to the left. Assisted by Lukas Engel.
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Dael Fry (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Uche Ikpeazu (Port Vale).
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Corner, Middlesbrough. Conceded by Ben Garrity.
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Attempt saved. Sam Silvera (Middlesbrough) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
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Substitution, Middlesbrough. Law McCabe replaces Morgan Rogers because of an injury.
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Delay over. They are ready to continue.
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Delay in match because of an injury Morgan Rogers (Middlesbrough).
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Offside, Middlesbrough. Alex Bangura is caught offside.
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Alex Iacovitti (Port Vale) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Morgan Rogers (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Alex Iacovitti (Port Vale).
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Substitution, Port Vale. Uche Ikpeazu replaces Gavin Massey.
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Substitution, Port Vale. Tom Sang replaces Jason Lowe.
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Substitution, Middlesbrough. Alex Bangura replaces Matt Crooks.
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Daniel Barlaser (Middlesbrough) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Gavin Massey (Port Vale).
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Attempt saved. Calum Kavanagh (Middlesbrough) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Lukas Engel with a cross.
