Two minute guide: Notts County (A)
Will the Valiants make it three wins on the trot with a successful visit to the Meadow Lane stadium?
Port Vale
Manager: Rob Page
Last match: 3-0 vs Doncaster
Form guide: W-W-L-D-L
Notts County
Manager: Shaun Derry
Last match: 1-2 vs Fleetwood
Form guide: L-L-W-L-L
Team news
Mark Marshall: slight fitness doubt
It’s very likely that Vale will line-up unchanged as long as Mark Marshall’s knock against Doncaster doesn’t rule him out. If that’s the case then Vale will have the luxury of working out who to leave off the bench. Against Doncaster, Richard Duffy, Greg Luer and Achille Campion were the unlucky ones. Vale’s only injured party is Colin Daniel who is set to return for Tuesday’s game against Oldham.
It’s set to be all change on the wings for home side Notts County. They have added two loanees in Brighton’s Paddy McCourt and Sheff Utd’s well-travelled Jamal Campbell-Ryce. Striker Ronan Murray is still sidelined because of injury.
Here’s our patented “finger in the air” possible starting XI:
Possible starting eleven
Neal
Veseli – Robertson – Inniss – Dickinson (c)
Moore – O’Connor – Brown – Marshall
Pope – Williamson
Pre-match quote
“When you are winning football matches the hardest thing you have to do is pick the seven that will sit on the bench and leave the others out because people will be disappointed….”
– Mark Grew (assistant manager)
Last time we met
The two sides last met back in August when Vale suffered a 2-0 home defeat. The last trip to Meadow Lane ended in defeat too – Vale losing 4-2 back in April 2014.
Last time we won
Steve McPhee: scored in 2004
Vale last won at Meadow Lane back in 2004 when a goal apiece for Steve Brooker and Steve McPhee helped Vale to a 2-1 league victory.
Overall record
- Vale wins: 35
- County wins: 44
- Draws: 20
Trivia
Chris Neal: Two hundred up?
- This game should mark the 200th senior start of Chris Neal’s career. The popular keeper has 172 league starts plus 27 cup appearances so far.
- Striker Andy Jones scored four times against County in one season in 1986-87 (more about that below).
They played for both…
So let’s get the obvious out of the way and mention veteran striker Lee Hughes who signed for the Valiants from County. The striker is still banging the goals in for Conference side Forest Green Rovers.
Some other players to appear for both sides include:
- Centre-half Liam Chilvers (right)
- Striker Gary Brazil
- Goalkeeper Steve Cherry
- Left-back Dan Jones
- Goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington
- Centre-half Krystian Pearce
- Midfielder Neil McKenzie
- Striker Kevin Bartlett
- Striker Luke Rodgers
1987: Vale meet County four times…
In the 1986-87 season, Port Vale played Notts County four times in league and cup competitions..
The two sides were drawn in the league cup and Vale took home a strong lead from the first leg by beating County 3-1 at Meadow Lane. Vale striker Andy Jones (pictured above) netted twice and strike partner Richard O’Kelly scored the other. In the second leg, Jones and O’Kelly were again on target along with Robbie Earle and winger Paul Smith.
In the league, Jones was on target once again in a 1-1 home draw while Jon Bowden scored as County recovered some pride with a 4-1 win at Meadow Lane.