STOKE-ON-TRENT, England (Interstat) — A solitary first-half stoppage-time goal from midfielder Jordan Shipley propelled Port Vale W to a 1-0 victory over Fleetwood Town Wrens FC in the Women’s FA Cup on Friday at Vale Park.

The closely contested match, played in front of a home crowd, defied the high-scoring pregame projections. Interstat’s game simulator had forecast a 4-2 result in favor of Port Vale, while its ELO rating system gave the hosts a 74.1% probability of advancing. Instead, a single moment of quality just before the interval decided the cup tie.

The decisive play began with Port Vale goalkeeper Joe Gauci, who initiated the attack with a long distribution that found substitute Tobias Mullarkey. Mullarkey, who had entered the match earlier, then played a pass to fellow substitute Harrison Neal. Neal’s subsequent through ball split the Fleetwood defense and found Shipley in stride. The midfielder finished clinically in the 45th minute, plus two minutes of added time, to give Port Vale the only goal it would need.

Shipley’s goal, assisted by Neal, capped a sequence involving two substitutes and the goalkeeper, with Gauci and Mullarkey also credited with assists on the play. Beyond the score sheet, the match was a physical affair, producing four yellow cards. Mullarkey was the first booked in the 25th minute, followed by Neal in the 52nd. Shipley saw a yellow card in the 69th minute, and Gauci received one in the 85th minute as Port Vale managed the game to its conclusion.

The result advances Port Vale W in the Women’s FA Cup, improving its record in the competition to one win and no losses this season. Across all competitions, Port Vale now stands at one win and no losses. For Fleetwood Town Wrens FC, the defeat marks an early exit from the cup, leaving its tournament record at no wins and one loss. Its overall record across all competitions also falls to no wins and one loss.

Fleetwood struggled to generate consistent offensive pressure against a disciplined Port Vale defense, which secured a clean sheet in its season opener. The visitors were unable to find an equalizer in the second half despite Port Vale playing much of the final 20 minutes with four players carrying yellow cards.

The victory sets Port Vale W up for the next round of the historic knockout competition, while Fleetwood Town Wrens FC will turn its focus to other fixtures. The match was the first of the 2026 calendar year for both sides in FA Cup play.