Alfie Devine: Port Vale's Carabao Cup match-winner relives his knockout moment
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Vale's players, led by Alfie Devine (left) celebrate reaching the EFL Cup last eight for the first time
Port Vale match-winner Alfie Devine says his knockout moment at Mansfield was reward for his previously out-of-form side's best display of the season.
The pre-match prospects for League One side Vale against the high-flying Stags did not look good after a poor run.
It was even considered an upset that the men from Burslem had won.
But on-loan Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Devine will not forget the moment he fired Vale to a first-ever EFL Cup quarter-final.
"The gap sort of opened up for me," he told BBC Radio Stoke. "And I just thought 'why not?'"
Devine's 50th-minute winner was Vale's just desserts for the growing confidence they took from their first-half performance at Field Mill, having picked up just one point from their previous six league games.
Andy Crosby's side had slipped to 16th in the table, and were away from home against Nigel Clough's big, strong Mansfield side who had not lost in 19 games this season - the only unbeaten record in the country.
The Stags sit fourth in League Two and had been averaging close to 20 shots per game throughout October.
But England Under-20 international Devine, who had also scored in Saturday's 2-1 home defeat by Cheltenham, said: "The way we moved the ball in the first half was the best I've seen us all season."
What was it all about, Alfie?
"The second half was then more about 'how much do we want it?' and the grit and the determination.
"Everyone knows the run we've been on and, in some games, we've been unlucky and very hard done by, especially the Stevenage game.
"But we were absolutely brilliant. And the Vale fans were superb from the first minute. Even in the warm-up. They gave us our 12th man - and we showed what we can do."
On-loan Spurs midfielder Devine celebrated his second goal in successive starts for Port Vale
Devine has started more league games for Vale from the bench since his late August deadline arrival from Spurs, but he was deployed by boss Crosby in a revamped three-man midfield alongside fellow Premier League loan man Oliver Arblaster and experienced Belgian Funso Ojo.
"It was the first time we've played together as a three," he said. "When I came I was made to feel comfortable by the lads but maybe it was always going to take time.
"It was about showing what I can do and the last two games I've shown a bit of what I'm about."
Vale and Tuesday's other victors Middlesbrough will know who they play in the quarter-finals after the other six fourth-round ties on Wednesday - but there are 10 Premier League sides left in, including Fulham, who beat Devine's parent club Spurs on penalties in round two.
Alfie Devine was talking to BBC Radio Stoke's Phil Bowers.
Devine celebrated his matchwinner in front of the Vale fans