Ford United made a cruel extra-time exit from their first round FA Cup replay at Oakside when captain Dean Chandler turned a deep cross from Vale substitute Chris Birchall past his own keeper five minutes before the end of the game.
The Ryman Premier League club had refused to be overawed by their more illustrious opponents matching them for endeavour throughout the entire match and with a little more composure in front of goal they might have done enough to have pulled off a major shock.
However, a goal from Billy Paynter in the 38th minute seemed to have been sufficient to have given the Nationwide Division Two side a passage into the next round and a home tie with Scarborough.
The centre forward seized onto a long ball out of defence, slipped his marker and angled his shot into the corner of the net from 18 yards.
The non-leaguers rallied in the second period with Craig Edwards and Ronnie Watson going close although Jonathan Brain showed confidence despite coming under some heavy pressure.
The visitors were reduced to ten men when 81st minute substitute Ian Armstrong lasted just nine minutes. Having been booked for unsporting behaviour he was shown a straight red card for his challenge on John O'Sullivan.
In injury time the home side won a free-kick and dead-ball specialist Glenn Poole drilled his left-footed shot into the net from 22 yards leaving Brain helpless.
That set up the rousing extra-time but it was Ford who were dealt a cruel blow as a penalty shoot-out beckoned.
Relieved Vale manager Brian Horton said: "I told my players that I wasn't interested in how they played, I just wanted to make sure that when we got back on the coach to go home we were in the second round.
"All credit to Ford, they are a decent side but we were very professional tonight." His opposite number Craig Edwards said: "I feel gutted for Dean Chandler, he has been a colossus for us and it's a bitter blow for him.
"To lose the game as we did is cruel. The Vale chairman came into our dressing room afterwards and said we had been the better of the two sides over the two games which was very kind of him but does not make up for our disappointment."