Each club had one previous appearance in the final of the Football League Trophy, Port Vale winning the competition in 1993 and Brentford beaten finalists in 1985.

[1] Vale then had a home tie with Conference club Chester City – who had suffered relegation from the Football League the previous season – and made the two division gap show with a confident performance; Chester defender Matt Doughty put a Smith cross into his own net on the 21st-minute and only some excellent goalkeeping from Wayne Brown kept the score down, he conceded just one further goal after Naylor struck the net from a Dave Brammer cross.

[1] Third Division strugglers Darlington failed to provide much stiffer competition in the area quarter-finals, as Onandi Lowe netted on his debut, followed by a headed goal from Allen Tankard and a brace from Naylor, giving the Vale a 4–0 victory.

[2] However, Mohan gave away a penalty in the 105th-minute and Marc Bridge-Wilkinson converted, ending the game with a golden goal, to give the Burslem club a night of celebration.

[2] Lincoln were the better side in the first half, but Vale came into the game and it was Bridge-Wilkinson who broke the deadlock after scoring direct from a free kick in the 53rd-minute; Naylor added a second with five minutes to go to give the "Valiants" a big advantage for the return fixture.

[1] Brentford eased to victory over Second Division strugglers Oxford United in the first round at Griffin Park, with Jay Lovett scoring his first Football League goal with a header from Michael Dobson's ninth minute cross; Scott Partridge bagged a brace and despite Steve Anthrobus pulling one back for Oxford, Scott Marshall wrapped up the scoring with Brentford's fourth goal of a 4–1 victory.

[4] Eventual Third Division champions Brighton & Hove Albion would prove to be a much sterner test in the second round, although the venue was changed from the Withdean Stadium to Griffin Park.

[4] The "Swans" again equalised after an impressive strike from Jason Price, though Owusu's late header gave Brentford a 3–2 win without resorting to extra-time.

[4] Their opponents in the two-legged area finals were Southend United, managed by former Brentford boss David Webb, with the first leg played at Roots Hall.

[3] Brentford got off to a flying start; young Dobson out-jumping Neil Brisco to head home a corner beyond the helpless Mark Goodlad for a 3rd-minute lead.

[9] The tone of the game was set by Vale's dominant five-man midfield, with Brammer the engine that drove the "Valiants" search for an equaliser as Brentford struggled to keep pace.

[9] Whereas Sagi Burton made the Brentford defence nervous from set pieces, misers Naylor, Brooker and Bridge-Wilkinson presented the danger from open play.

[9] Brentford piled on the pressure and had numerous late chances; the first falling to substitute McCammon, whose first touch of the game was a poor header that could have found the net if it was well placed.

[14] The trophy was Brian Horton's only honour at Port Vale, his five-year reign ended with his resignation in February 2004 after disagreements with the board over both his contract and the playing budget.

[21] Brentford's Michael Dobson stayed at Griffin Park until June 2006, then spent two years at Walsall before leaving the game at the age of 27 to set up his own business.

[22] Man of the Match Dave Brammer was voted Port Vale Player of the Year for 2001, and retired in May 2009 at the end of a second spell at the club.