play-off places and hope one or the other lost. However, the twist was that both these teams were playing each other and needed just a point to deny Vale a play-off place – unless, that is, Vale won by seven clear goals. Vale dispatched Rushden with a 2–0 win (Steve McPhee scoring both and taking his tally to 27 for the season) but Swindon and Hartlepool played out a 1–1 draw at the County Ground, thus meaning Vale missed out on goal-difference. Foyle spent almost four years as manager after this, but the style of football the team were playing did him few favours as Vale finished 17th and 13th in his first two full campaigns in charge despite promising starts. Arguably the club's best recent achievements came in the two major cup competitions in the calendar year of 2006. Vale made it to the 4th round of the FA Cup in 2005–06 which was the club's first appearance at that stage since the club's giantkilling exploits a decade earlier. Vale were drawn away to Premier League Aston Villa but were defeated 3–1, holding the Birmingham side well into the 2nd period before succumbing to 2 Milan Baroš strikes and although Nathan Lowndes pulled one back, Steven Davis scored Villa's third. The following season the club set a record for progression in the League Cup beating three Championship sides at home to set up a tie at Spurs (the first time the sides had met since Vale's infamous win 19 years beforehand). Vale again gave Spurs more than a run for their money taking the lead through Leon Constantine, and were eleven minutes from a major upset before Spurs equalised to force extra time and eventually prevailed 3–1. The signing of Constantine was to prove a big success as he set a post war record by scoring 19 goals before Christmas 2006. Coupled with exciting strike partner Akpo Sodje Vale were up with the early pace setter for League One in 2006–07, however several runs of poor form saw the side fade away to finish 12th despite a striking partnership which contributed 42 goals (Constantine 26, Sodje 16). This added to a shocking 4–0 F.A. Cup defeat to then League Two Hereford United saw fans start to lose patience with Foyle, although he remained in charge before the 2007–08 campaign. A poor start to the 2007–08 season, in which several