The games are coming thick and fast, and the second of 4 in 9 days is the return fixture of our biggest triumph of the season, Port Vale. The bookies have us as marginal 6/4 favourites to do the double over the Vale, with the hosts priced at 7/4. If you're feeling really confident, you can get 200/1 on the reds repeating that 7-0 victory from the start of the season. Despite the disastrous opening day, Vale had a good start to the season, though have struggled for form since mid-September, which has seen them slip down to 15th, well shy of the play-offs, but not perilously close to the drop zone. They are on a run of just 2 wins in their last 14 league fixtures, though are currently unbeaten in their last 3. At Vale Park, they've garnered just 12 points from 9 fixtures, winning 4 and losing 5. There's no major pattern to their results at home, though they have lost 1-0 to the 3 sides who have visited Vale Park who currently occupy a play off place. Goals have been hard to come by across those 9 fixtures too, with Vale scoring just 9 and conceding 10, suggesting they are tight at the back, but lacklustre going forward. Their win over Wigan last weekend ended a run of 5 straight home defeats, after starting the season with 3 straight home wins. Our record at Vale Park is mixed, though leans more in the home teams favour in recent history. That being said, we have won our last 2 league games there, with Connell, Kitching and Phillips on target there last season, and Conor Hourihane striking early to give Paul Heckinbottom's chargers the points in 2016. Aside from that, Port Vale have won 7 of the last 11 meetings at their ground in all competitions, a run going back to 1999. Midfielder Ben Garrity could be pinpointed as Vale's danger man. He's scored 7 of their 19 league goals this season, including an injury time equaliser at Wycombe yesterday. He appears to have found his feet at this level after netting 12 in league 2 the season before last, though from reading their forum, it appears he's being played in a more advanced role, due to their shortcomings up front. He's described as a hard working tough tackler, so it will be interesting to see how he fairs against Luca Connell. Vale have conceded 30 goals this season, which is skewed heavily by that opening day horror show at Oakwell; they'd otherwise be amongst the tightest defenses in the division, though no excuses can be made for their poor goals return at the other end of the pitch. Referee Scott Oldham has averaged just 3 cards a game this season, which is well below the average. That does include 3 reds however across 19 fixtures (2 of which came for Cheltenham in their defeat at Peterborough). It also includes Port Vale's 1-0 home victory over Northampton back in September; this was their last home victory prior to a win over Wigan last weekend. In that game, Vale attacker Ethan Chislett was the only player cautioned. Mr Oldham visited Oakwell on 2 occasions last season; he took charge of our final day defeat to Peterborough, which was a dead rubber from our perspective, and our 2-0 EFL trophy win over Newcastle u21s, a game most notable for Ziyad Larkeche scoring a screamer. Our away form remains as our strength, with only Portsmouth having a better ppg on the road. When considering that, Port Vale's poor home form, lack of cutting edge up top, and our new found ability to grind out results, I can see us taking all 3 points here. I don't think it'll be a classic, or a high scoring encounter, but I can see us doing enough to get the job done. I'm going for 1-0 with McAtee continuing his purple patch of goalscoring form (currently 5 in 6).
2-0 to Vale. Our defence will be wobbly as a blancmange. And don't forget our players are being "trusted" by the club not to overdo their celebrations on Xmas day and to look after themselves. One drink too many and too much pudding could be our downfall.
Don't know with this one.. fancy us away against em.. but they're gonna be desperate to shove it up us after.the 7-0.. Can't call it so 1-1.. but owt could happen..
Got "banana skin" written all over it. Can't see past a 2-1 defeat, purely because I'm a football fan and I'm always convinced that my team will let me down at the most inopportune of moments. On the other hand, sometimes one team just has another team's number, so another big win wouldn't be surprising. Rational prediction - Vale 0 Reds 2. Paranoid football fan prediction - Vale 2 Reds 1
