"O listen! for the Vale profound
Is overflowing with the sound"
Wordsworth
Well, if ever there was a top-of-the-table clash, a real six-pointer … here you have it. Vale are ahead of us by a single point, and we have a game in hand. We are 4 points clear of the chasing pack in the play-off zone and a fairly comfortable 20 points above the drop.
Vale at home in the F A Cup (3rd round) was one of my earliest experiences of a “full” Fellows Park - we had disposed of Southampton in the 2nd round and 21,811 were somehow squeezed in for the Port Vale game, which we lost 0-1. I have no personal hate towards Vale, except that for reasons which eluded me at the time Tony Richards left us and went to Vale Park - his injury record appeared to be the main cause, but he went to Vale and ended up as their top goalscorer for the next 2 seasons.
I was surprised to see that Vale’s history (like ours) has included being something of a shuttlecock between Divisions III (North) and (South) - I mean, Port Vale in Div III (South)?
As the leaders in League 2 I would have expected their current form to be outstanding, but it really isn’t that strong…
October 22nd Harrogate Town (A) Won 0-1
October 26th AFC Wimbledon (H) Won 3-2
November 9th Gillingham (A) Lost 1-0
November 16th Morecambe (A) Won 0-1
November 25th Crewe Alexandra (H) Drew 1-1
December 3rd Cheltenham Town (A) Drew 1-1
Compare that to M K Dons, who have won their last 6 games (thus gaining 7 points on Vale).
Mat Sadler’s team selection does not seem to have any new injury concerns, although we don’t know just how serious the damage was to Jamie Jellis’s calf - he may possibly make the bench. Harry Williams certainly made his presence felt against Notts County, but clattering into opposition players within spitting distance of the pelanty area is to be discouraged.
In 18 League 2 games Vale have managed to score 26 goals, which is fractionally less than 1.5 goals per game - in our 17 games we’ve scored 33, which marks a healthy difference between the two sides. Nevertheless with Vale’s home advantage it would perhaps be unwise to predict a Saddlers win, and I for one would be quite happy with a point - say a 1-1 result with Nathan Lowe netting for us. That would keep us within striking distance of top place, still with a game in hand.
UTS
