Two minute guide to: Rochdale (A)
It’s the second game of the Easter weekend and Vale will be desperate for a result to end their run of poor form…
Port Vale
Manager: Rob Page
Last match: 1-2 vs Colchester
Form guide: L-L-L-L-L
Rochdale
Manager: Keith Hill
Last match: 0-1 vs Preston
Form guide: L-W-L-W-W
Team news
Chris Neal: Back in goal for Vale
What can Rob Page do to arrest the team’s poor form? He’s already dropped Tom Pope to some controversy but it’s at the back where Vale consistently fail to impress. Loanees Neil Collins and Junior could both miss the game through injury while Byron Moore is also missing. Chris Neal will almost certainly return at the expense of Sam Johnson, while impressive loanee Mohamed Coulibaly may earn a start, but elsewhere, how the team lines up is anyone’s guess…
Possible Vale starting XI:
Neal
Yates – Veseli – Robertson – Dickinson
Marshall – Brown – O’Connor – Coulibaly
Dodds- Williamson
Pre-match quote
“We need characters at this point. I’m sure we have enough in the dressing room but we’ve got to all pull together…”
– Adam Yates
Last time we met
The Valiants won 1-1 earlier in the season thanks to a 64th minute winner by veteran Michael Brown.
Overall record
- Vale wins: 21
- Rochdale wins: 8
- Draws: 23
They played for both…
Vale’s Louis Dodds had a brief spell on loan with Rochdale back in 2007. The forwarded netted twice in twelve games for Dale. Meanwhile former Valiant Calvin Andrew could be on the Rochdale bench 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…
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.