Middlesbrough booked their place in the Carabao Cup semi-finals for the first time since they won the trophy in 2004 as they comfortably saw off Port Vale in freezing cold Burslem.
Michael Carrick's men made light of being drawn away for a fifth straight round as they eased to victory.
Jonny Howson's deflected shot and Morgan Rogers' strike put Boro 2-0 up inside 23 minutes.
Matt Crooks then wrapped up an easy quarter-final triumph on 53 minutes.
Playing in their first League Cup quarter-final, in the 64th season of the competition's history, Vale's only moment of real hope came in only the fourth minute when Ethan Chislett was just off target with an early free-kick.