Two Minute Guide: Port Vale v Barnsley
We preview the action ahead of Port Vale’s Easter Monday clash with Barnsley at Vale Park.
Port Vale
Manager: Rob Page
Last match: 1-1 vs Shrewsbury
Form guide: D-W-W-L-D
Barnsley
Manager: Paul Heckingbottom
Last match: 0-0 vs Scunthorpe
Form guide: W-W-L-W-D
Team news
Leading scorer AJ Leitch-Smith is expected to return upfront – probably at the expense of JJ Hooper. Anthony Grant had a virus on Good Friday but it remains to be seen if he will remove the impressive Michael Brown from the Vale starting line-up.
Pre-match thoughts
“We have got a point and we build on that and go and get the win on Monday…”
Vale manager Rob Page
Last time we met
Goals from AJ Leitch-Smith and Sam Foley gave Vale a 2-1 away win earlier in the season.
Overall record
- Vale wins: 46
- Barnsley wins: 45
- Draws: 19
Port Vale’s recent record against Barnsley: W-D-W-L-W
Video vault
Here’s a video from our OVF YouTube channel showing a 2-1 win back in 1994. The Vale goalscorers were Lee Glover and Mark Burke.
Played for both
Vale skipper Carl Dickinson spend a loan spell with Barnsley back in 2009. Dickinson played 28 games scoring once. Meanwhile, Vale could face former loanee Jak McCourt who has been signed by the Tykes.
Other recent players to appear for both clubs include defender Lee Collins, striker Marc Richards, midfielder Sam Togwell and winger Chris Shuker.
Trivia
The 1930-31 saw a remarkable mirror-image of league results. Vale won the first fixture 5-2 (thanks to braces from Sam Jennings and Albert Pynegar, pictured above) and Barnsley won the return fixture by the same scoreline.
More trivia
- The clubs first met competitively way back in 1898
- The scorer of Vale’s first goal against Barnsley was James Peake
- Vale’s biggest win is a 5-0 victory in 2004 – with goals from Chris Birchall, Tony Dinning (2) and Billy Paynter (2)