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Port Vale manager Martin Foyle has slammed the Trinidad and Tobago FA after they whisked Chris Birchall off to the Caribbean for a World Cup celebration.


Foyle says he has no argument with the 21-year-old, who is set to become the first Vale player to appear in the World-Cup finals following Trinidad and Tobago's play-off win in Bahrain on Wednesday. But the manager was hoping Birchall would be able to report back for duty in Burslem this morning, so the club can assess the ankle injury the winger picked up in Wednesday's match.

Instead, the Stafford youngster is not due back until this evening, leaving Foyle to plan for tomorrow's home game against Swindon without the winger.

The manager said: "I have to try to do something. They can't just take my player away when I can't get 16 players. If I had a large squad, I wouldn't be bothered.

"But that is no fault of Chris Birchall's. If he is told to get on the plane then good luck to him. I am delighted for him, but we are in trouble here."

Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Patrick Manning declared yesterday a public holiday so fans could cheer on the team as they travelled back from the international airport to the capital, Port of Spain.

The country have never reached the finals before, but Birchall's goal in the first leg of the play-off paved the way for a 2-1 aggregate victory.

The youngster will get a pat on the back from Swindon winger Ricky Shakes, who is hoping to force his way into World Cup plans of Trinidad's former Real Madrid coach Leo Beenhakker.

He said: "I would really like to meet Chris on Saturday, to say thanks and to let him know who I am, but only after we have the three points."

Shakes was involved in a training camp with Trinidad's senior and under-21 sides last summer, so is dreaming of Germany after Birchall helped the country book their place.

Shakes said: "You live in hope, don't you? The staff have kept in contact with me and said they're going to be watching me. They said they were concentrating on qualifying for the World Cup first, but now that's happened I guess they'll be watching out for players who could challenge. Hopefully I can do well for Swindon Town and the performances go down well."

Shakes's cause would be helped if his team perform better then they did on Wednesday when they were dumped out of the FA Cup with a 4-1 defeat at Boston United.

There were some mitigating circumstances as goalkeeper Tom Heaton was sent off after 18 minutes with Boston already a goal up through former Aston Villa forward Julian Joachim.

Reserve keeper Matt Bullman saved Jason Lee's resulting penalty, but further goals from Joachim, Brad Maylett and Lee put Swindon four goals down at the break before Rory Fallon pulled a goal back eight minutes from time.

Swindon boss Iffy Onuora must now decide whether to leave first-year professional Bullman in for the suspended Heaton or try to sign a keeper on loan.

Experienced keeper Rhys Evans is getting close to fitness after a knee injury, but throwing him back in tomorrow would represent a huge gamble.

Onuora can at least rely on striker Rory Fallon who has scored nine goals this season and represents the bottom club's best chance of avoiding the drop.

One to watch: Rory Fallon - Foyle is a long-term admirer of the striker who scored Swindon's goal in their 2-1 home defeat to the Valiants last month.