Two minute guide to: Rochdale (H)
It’s time for another brief guide – this Rochdale, who will hoping to break their league duck at Vale Park…
Port Vale
Manager: Rob Page
Last match: 3-4 vs Milton Keynes (FAC)
Form guide: L-W-W-D-L
Rochdale
Manager: Keith Hill
Last match: 0-0 vs Northampton (FAC)
Form guide: D-W-W-W-D
Team news
Carl Dickinson: set to return?
Well, there will definitely be changes at the back with Richard Duffy and Ryan McGivern suspended and Remie Streete recalled by parent club Newcastle United. It means just Adam Yates remains from the back four that started against Milton Keynes.
Captain Carl Dickinson, Chris Robertson and Freddie Veseli are all expected to start and youngster Reiss Greenidge could make the bench. One possible scenario is that Robertson and Dickinson (who have started several games together) will be paired in the centre (thus giving Vale a right and left-footed combination) with Yates and Veseli in the full-back positions.
Elsewhere, it’s more likely to be business as usual with Dany N’Guessan (described as “70% fit” by Rob Page) partnering Ben Williamson. However, we would not be surprised to see Achille Campion make the bench after a hat-trick for the reserves.
Rochdale are without striker Ian Henderson (suspended) and midfielders Matty Lund (international duty) and Peter Vincenti (knee)
Possible Vale starting XI:
Neal
Veseli – Robertson – Dickinson – Yates
Marshall – Lines – O’Connor – Birchall
N’Guessan – Williamson
Pre-match quote
“I am ready to go and I can’t wait to get out there. I have had a little dip in form, I got subbed and obviously wasn’t playing well, but I have trained hard the last few weeks and I am ready to go again…”
– Skipper Carl Dickinson
Last time we met
The Valiants lost 0-1 at home in the 2013 JPT competition after a goal for Rochdale’s Joseph Rafferty. You may have missed the game as it was watched by just 2,613 people.
Overall record
- Vale wins: 20
- Rochdale wins: 8
- Draws: 23
Trivia
Mark Marshall; set for 100th league career appearance
This game should be winger Mark Marshall’s 100th league start of his career.
That win for Rochdale in 2013 was their first competitive win at Vale Park.
In fact, the Valiants are unbeaten in home league games against Rochdale – a run of 24 games that stretches back to 1929.
Vale’s biggest win over Dale occurred in 1953 – more on that game below.
They played for both…
Louis Dodds: six years on from a spell at Rochdale
Vale’s Louis Dodds had a brief spell on loan with Rochdale back in 2007. The forwarded netted twice in twelve games for Dale. Dodds is likely to start on the bench and Calvin Andrew could be in the opposing dugout. Andrew, a striker, had a spell at Vale during our 2012-13 promotion season. Other players to appear for both sides include:
- Striker Marc Richards
- Winger Chris Shuker
- Midfielder Tony Lacey
- Goalkeeper Jack Prince
- Defender Gerry Keenan
- Goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington
- Defender Dean Stokes
- Midfielder Jimmy Greenoff
- Goalkeeper Chris Pearce
- Defender Gareth Griffiths (right)
When Vale hit six in ’53…
Ken Griffiths: hat-trick hero in 1953
Port Vale’s biggest win over Rochdale, perhaps unsurprisingly, came during the legendary 1953-54 season. Vale were in the process of recording a club record eleven consecutive home clean sheets and thirteen matches into a seventeen game unbeaten league run, so it was no surprise when they swept Rochdale away by six goals to nil.
The Vale goalscorers were Ken Griffiths (a hat-trick), Albert Leake (a brace) and Basil Hayward and it was played in front of a 16,841 crowd.