The Carabao Cup is not what it used to be? Try telling that to Michael Carrick. The Middlesbrough manager won the competition twice as a player and could find himself lifting the trophy in his first full season as a manager after his side booked a quarter-final place thanks to a thrilling 3-2 win away to Exeter.
Emmanuel Latte Lath’s late penalty proved decisive, following earlier second-half strikes from Morgan Rogers and Sammy Silvera.
Ryan Trevitt scored two superb long-range goals for Exeter, but the midfielder went from hero to zero in the final ten minutes as his foul on Rogers enabled Latte Lath to settle things from the spot.
“Cups are special,” Carrick said. “You can turn your noses up at them sometimes and I understand why some people maybe don’t take them as seriously as was maybe the case in the past because it does give you extra games and it does stretch you a bit.
“But we’re in this business to try to be successful and set up special occasions and special nights. It’s a little bit different to the week in, week out and we’ve enjoyed ourselves in this competition.”
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With rain teeming down at a sold-out St James Park, it felt like an evening tailor-made for a cup upset and Exeter lived up to their billing as Trevitt fired home from the corner of the penalty area in the 13th minute.
Trevitt, right, fouls Rogers, conceding the penalty that gave Middlesbrough the chance to advance to the quarter-finals
GRAHAM HUNT/SHUTTERSTOCK
Rogers levelled four minutes into the second half, after Alex Bangura’s refusal to give up on a seemingly lost cause. The Middlesbrough full back robbed Jack Fitzwater of possession, with the ball breaking to Rogers, who curled home a sublime finish.
Ten minutes later, Middlesbrough took the lead as Silvera darted in from the left touchline before curling an excellent low finish into the corner.
Yet Exeter were not to be subdued for long, with Trevitt’s second goal of the evening levelling the scores in the 66th minute. Picking up the ball with his back to goal, the midfielder turned neatly before scoring from 20 yards.
However, his next key act was to tilt the game back in Middlesbrough’s favour. Trevitt was penalised for pulling back Rogers in the box and Latte Lath stepped up to score the winner.
Alfie Devine, the teenage midfielder on loan from Tottenham Hotspur and called up to train with the full England squad this season, made a small entry into Port Vale’s history books last night as his goal carried the Sky Bet League One side through to the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time.
The England Under-20 international, whose only other senior cup goal came for Tottenham away to non-League Marine in the FA Cup in 2021, picked up a loose ball just inside the Mansfield Town half on 50 minutes. He was allowed to advance into space before depositing a well-judged shot in to the bottom corner of the net from 25 yards, aided by a slight deflection.
“I thought his goal was a reward for the way we were playing and was a great goal, well-executed,” Andy Crosby, the Port Vale manager, said. “Getting to the quarter-final is a fantastic achievement for everyone connected with the club.”
Devine, left, scores the only goal of the game to send Port Vale into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup
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The strike helped Vale overcome League Two opponents who had been unbeaten this season under Nigel Clough. The Mansfield manager won the competition twice as a Nottingham Forest player but, from what he could see through the first-half fog, his chances of leading Mansfield to their first League Cup quarter-final since 1976 would have appeared dim.
Oliver Arblaster came closest to giving the visitors the lead when he struck a post on 22 minutes after a cross from the dangerous wingback Tom Sang. Sang had an effort of his own well saved after dispossessing Calum Macdonald.
There were a series of misses that could have been punished by Mansfield before the interval, including an instant volley from Davis Keillor-Dunn that drew a fine reflex save from Connor Ripley in the Vale goal. After taking the lead, Vale should have quickly settled the tie. Uche Ikpeazu clipped the bar, James Plant’s shot was well saved by Christy Pym and Jesse Debrah’s header was held on the line.
