Two minute guide to: Colchester (H)
Can Vale bounce back from that awful second-half against Leyton Orient with a better performance against Colchester?
Port Vale
Manager: Rob Page
Last match: 1-3 vs Leyton Orient
Form guide: L-L-L-L-W
Colchester Utd
Manager: Tony Humes
Last match: 2-2 vs Gillingham
Form guide: D-W-L-L-L
Team news
It is probably going to be a much-changed Port Vale line-up after the run of four defeats in a row. In goal, Sam Johnson will take over from the suspended Chris Neal while in midfield Michael Brown is expected to take over from injury-doubt Junior. Byron Moore is definitely out and Tommy O’Sullivan is a doubt but elsewhere it is anyone’s guess… Mohamed Coulibaly could line up on the wing while there could also be changes upfront after an ineffective display on Saturday.
Possible Vale starting XI:
Johnson
Veseli – Collins – Robertson – Dickinson
Marshall – Brown – O’Connor – Coulibaly
Dodds – Williamson
Pre-match quote
“Friday is going to be a big game and if we could get three points, which I think we can, then it would be a good week…”
– Carl Dickinson
Last time we met
The Valiants picked up a valuable 2-1 away win thanks to second-half goals from Colin Daniel and Mark Marshall.
Overall record
- Vale wins: 19
- Orient wins: 21
- Draws: 12
Trivia
- The Valiants have lost just one of their last eleven home games against Colchester United.
- One of the more dramatic encounters took part in 2003 when Vale triumphed 4-3. Sam Collins, Billy Paynter, Ian Armstrong and Steve McPhee were on target for the Valiants.
- By contrast, Vale’s worst performance was a 3-0 loss during the 1977-78 season.
- Should he play, loanee Mohamed Coulibaly will be the thirtieth player used by Vale this season.
They played for both…
Liam Chilvers (seen celebrating promotion – it wasn’t usual for him to bring a bottle of beer and a small child onto the pitch, after all) played for both sides
Players to appear for both sides include:
- Winger Ashley Vincent
- Striker Bobby Gough
- Defender Liam Chilvers
- Full-back David Raine
- Inside-forward Arthur Longbottom
- Defender Sagi Burton
- Defender Ray Harford
First encounters…
The clubs’ first competitive fixture was during the 1950-51 season after Colchester had been elected to the Football League. Unusually, both fixtures took place in the last three weeks of the season and honours ended even.
In the game at Vale Park, on the 16th April, it ended 1-1 in front of 8,520 fans with Stan Palk scoring for the Vale. In the return fixture, on the 5th May, it also ended 1-1 with Len Barber scoring for Vale.
Indeed, Vale had to wait seven games for their first win. It happened on 22nd March 1958 with a 2-0 win thanks to goals from Stan Steele and Jack Wilkinson.