Reserves push for a first-team place
Achille Campion was the stand-out player as a number of Port Vale squad players made cases for inclusion in the first-team.
French striker Campion netted a hat-trick in a 3-1 win away at Shrewsbury and it is surely only a lack of match fitness that is preventing the targetman taking a place in the first-team squad. Vale are no doubt anxious not to risk the striker too soon after he suffered a string of injuries earlier in the year, but the 24 year-old must be close to a first-team place after another good showing for the second-string.
Meanwhile, defenders Chris Robertson and Freddie Veseli were both included and one of the pair has a good chance of playing against Rochdale as Vale’s defence will be missing Ryan McGivern and Richard Duffy.
The Reserves also featured a new face at left-back with former Chelsea defender Aziz Deen-Conteh widely tipped to join a clutch of “development” players at the club.
Vale Reserves: Sam Johnson, Aziz Deen-Conteh, Reiss Greenidge, Michael Brown, Chris Robertson, Frederic Veseli, Byron Moore, Harry Panayiotou, Jordan Slew, Achille Campion, Ryan Lloyd.
Subs: Harry Pickering, Enoch Andoh, Omar Haughton, Billy Reeves, Lewis Bergin