Ben Waine (Port Vale | England)

Waine gets a start.

Waine Train gets 58 mins (1-0) in a 1-0 road win.

PV still last, 10 pts off safety. 8 pts off Northampton (2nd last)

PV host AFC Dons

https://us.soccerway.com/game/afc-wimbledon-4KREuF43/port-vale-U3lM3y4e/?mid=rcFUWXMh

Andre Gray signs for Vale - certainly would be above Waineo in the pecking order for centre forward. His future in Burslem looks firmly in the wide positions

Was on the pine as PV lost 0-1 to the Dons

Soccerway yet to update with substitutions

coochiee

Was on the pine as PV lost 0-1 to the Dons

Soccerway yet to update with substitutions

On in the 92nd minute, so not much chance to show anything or help the cause with that.

Port Vale will be L2 next season. Pretty much relegated already. I wonder if thte chose to keep him on or cut him free of the sinking ship?

PV host Burton Albion.

https://us.soccerway.com/game/burton-nwCtJaJT/port-vale-U3lM3y4e/?mid=6BIoNHfK

Waine starts and scores at 29 mins to have PV up 2-1 at HT.

He's subbed off at 76 mins (2-2) as it finishes 2-2


29' ALL ABOOOOAAAARD!!

A scramble in the box following a Vale corner falls to Ben Waine, who slams home on the slide from close range to give us the lead once again!

He also hit the crossbar with a "thunderous shot from 20 metres" and earned the penalty for the first goal. A good outing.

Highlights. PV's first goal was a free kick and a very good one as well.

Scrappy goal for Waineo, but yes if his late hit had gone in and not off the cross bar would have been one for the album.
Woodwork got a working over by both teams.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bilK9f3Lr8Y

Ben Waine scored his fifth goal of the season (second in the league) for Port Vale in a 2-2 draw against Burton Albion

Almost won it later on too, ripping one off the crossbar#FlyingKiwis pic.twitter.com/4VABg1KfGb

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) February 7, 2026

Ben doesn't really excite me. But stoked for him that he is scoring. The celebration says it all.

Haven't seen a pitch like that since Suncorp last hosted a Summer Concert.

Port Vales pitch this evening 😳😳😳

They’re set to host Bristol City on Saturday in the Fa Cup fourth round. #BristolCity #PVFC pic.twitter.com/38PILrdBsC

— The 44 ⚽️ (@The_Forty_Four) February 10, 2026

Was a 0-4 loss for Port Vale in the EFL Trophy quarters over night, to Stockport County. Game started in okay weather.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXra6oILgoI

Waine off at 79 mins (0-2).

https://us.soccerway.com/game/port-vale-U3lM3y4e/stockport-county-IX6WjNvr/?mid=Y710nNFN

FA Cup. Port Vale host Bristol City

Had the dates wrong, this Cup tie not until March 4th.

PV no game this weekend.

https://www.friendsoffootballnz.com/2026/02/17/all-whites-duo-could-face-epl-teams-in-next-round-of-fa-cup/

New Zealand internationals Ben Waine and Liberato Cacace are in with a chance of FA Cup glory after their sides drew fifth-round ties against English Premier League clubs.

Waine’s Port Vale side will host Sunderland in the last 16, provided they dispose of Bristol City in their fourth-round tie, which was postponed until Tuesday, March 3, 2026, due to a waterlogged pitch.

PV (24th/last) travel to Stevenage (9th).

The FA Cup maybe more a focus now for Port Vale. Hosting Sunderland would be a nice pay day.
11 pts from safety in L1, relegation does look a bit certain. Though have a few games in hand on teams above.

https://us.soccerway.com/game/port-vale-U3lM3y4e/stevenage-ANwyQM2M/?mid=2Dp8iK5S

PV lose 2-1 with Waine off the bench at 60 mins (2-1)

Port Vale host Reading

Waine starts and off at 61 mins (PV trailing 0-1) in a 1-1 draw.

He had a low 5.5 Soccerway rating. Highlights
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJpA7NGldgs

Port Vale's pitch in a very poor state.

PV travel to Northampton.

https://us.soccerway.com/game/northampton-l4P6dwRR/port-vale-U3lM3y4e/?mid=0GhkpTvJ

PV lead 1-0 at HT
Waine on the pine

Waine on at 76 mins (1-0) in a 1-0 win.
Northampton 22nd.

Despite the victory Port Vale (24th) stay last, and 10 points from safety.

If as seems highly likely they go down to League Two, might just be best Waine stays with them.

Port Vale (24th) host Luton (10th)

coochiee

Port Vale (10th) host Luton (24th)

https://us.soccerway.com/game/luton-SlybbadF/port-vale-U3lM3y4e/?mid=4rp4BZDb

Ben waine scores! 1-1

Full game, a yellow and the goal.

Finishes 1-1, and PV stay 24th (last) - not 10th.

Ben Waine says: "All Aboard" 🚂 #FlyingKiwis pic.twitter.com/XFRMTDWvX2

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) February 28, 2026

Also POTM with 8.3/10, says Fotmob. Not aboard personally, but happy to see him do well. League 2 might work out ok. Needs game time.

coochiee

Full game, a yellow and the goal.

Finishes 1-1, and PV stay 24th (last) - not 10th.

Ben Waine says: "All Aboard" 🚂 #FlyingKiwis pic.twitter.com/XFRMTDWvX2

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) February 28, 2026

Results under the new manager have improved - albeit, not enough to look like they will get out of trouble.

Still 20 games to go in the season. If he picks up another 5 to 10 goals (doable with good minutes) other League 1 clubs might look at him.

Needs a strong finish.

Twas a long day at work without being able to access the forum 😮‍💨

Anyway

Waineo gets the winner for Port Vale over Championship side Bristol City in the FA Cup.

The reward - Port Vale host the 5th Round tie against Sunderland next week!

Scores the only goal in extra time to put  Vale through to round 5 of the  FA Cup and a home game against Sunderland.

In decent form. Long maybe continue.

Cross fingers, he's at last getting to grips with football in the UK.

The city of Bristol sure hates to see Ben Waine coming

He's scored winning goals in 1-0 victories against both Bristol City and Bristol Rovers during this FA Cup run#FlyingKiwis pic.twitter.com/wfuuoDoyl2

— The Niche Cache (@thenichecache) March 4, 2026

2 min highlights. He actually had 3 excellent chances to score prior his goal.

Started the game and with 6 subs made, a good sign the gaffer kept him on into Extra Time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=932gc6WLUF8

Exciting R16 tie hosting EPL's Sunderland this weekend. The poor state of PV's pitch a potential big leveller.

Don’t think they were bad misses, though. Header maybe the best chance, but he misses wide.

Next one that’s good strength to hold off the defender and get a shot on target away. Maybe needs to square it. Not much of an angle and hits it straight into the keeper.

The final one he anticipates well. Back header and he intercepts. Much like the final one he doesn’t get much on it, but nurdles it past the keeper on second attempt only for one defender to have retreated and clear. 

All signs of a man in some form, creating things too and perhaps at a level which is more comfortable for him. Kind of thing he was doing for Arglye imo, but for slightly less return with the higher level.

Anyway great to see him finding his feet. I always wondered if he came across as a bit posh for some in a football team with his good clean lad bit [bit not but!] and accent…but goals are goals and you score them you’ll keep every one happy.

Yeah for a lad with a bit of a mangled Home Counties posh accent, it's surprising to hear he supports a Geordie team.

I liked that 3rd near miss you mention, when he's loitering around the box like any good poacher and makes the quick smart run towards goal, anticipating the Bristol City defender will try nod it back to his keeper. So nearly scored there.

To think at one low point this season he was rated about the 7th-8th best attacker on PV's books. Perseverance. 

Good to see Waineo find a pocket of goalscoring form over in the UK. Helped no doubt by having a gaffer who believes in his work and had even chased him previously.

Now if he could just translate his domestic cup strikerate into league play then he'd be a bloody weapon!

102 games in England since leaving Wellington.
84 of those appearances have been in league games across League One and Championship footy for a total of 8 goals.
The remainder - He has played 18 games for 10 goals across FA Cup, EFL Trophy & EFL Cup action.

Top class cup merchant, but he will need a bag full of goals across the remainder of the season to keep Port Vale in League One.

Love to see him score a few of his power shots like the one where he hit the bar the other week, too. 

Yep, headers, poacher anticipation, running behind…good signs.

Waine making himself part of Port Vale folklore!

He's on a roll at the moment. First FA Cup quarter final since 1950. Will he be the first Kiwi to reach that??