Two minute guide to: Gillingham (H)
It’s time for our brief guide to Port Vale’s first game of 2015 – a home match against Gillingham.
Port Vale
Manager: Rob Page
Last match: 0-1 vs Swindon
Form guide: L-W-W-L-D
Gillingham
Caretaker: Andy Hessenthaler
Last match: 1-3 vs Bristol City
Form guide: L-W-L-W-W
Team news
Achille Campion: set for bench duty.
Rob Page could be set to name an unchanged side which means striker Achille Campion, who has just signed a permanent deal with the club, will have to settle for a place on the bench. The only definite Vale absentee is injured striker Tom Pope.
Former Vale skipper Doug Loft is set to miss out on a return to Vale Park due to a knee injury. Caretaker boss Andy Hessenthaler will be in charge following Peter Taylor’s sacking and he will also have to cope with the loss of midfielder Bradley Dack.
Possible Vale starting XI:
Neal
Yates – Veseli – Duffy – Dickinson
Marshall – Brown – O’Connor – N’Guessan
Dodds
Williamson
Pre-match quote
“You want to win the last game of 2014 and you want to win the first one of 2015 so nothing changes from that point of view…
– Rob Page
Last time we met
Michael Brown: late equaliser
The Valiants secured a valuable away point thanks to a late equaliser from Michael Brown. Striker Dany N’Guessan was the other Vale player on target in a 2-2 draw.
Overall record
- Vale wins: 15
- Gillingham wins: 15
- Draws: 16
Trivia
The first game of the New Year has been a tricky one for the Vale in recent years. They have lost the last four and have to go back to a 2010 win over Burton for their last win in the first fixture of the New Year.
As the stats show, the two teams are absolutely dead level after 46 meetings. It stands at 15 Vale wins, 15 Gills wins and 16 draws.
This is Andy Hessenthaler’s third spell as caretaker manager of Gillingham.
Doug Loft: set for a decent reception Former club captain Doug Loft is set to miss his return to Vale Park due to a knee injury Loft was a popular figure at Vale Park and helped captain the side to promotion in 2013. Other players to appear for both sides include:They played for both…