Match Preview: Morecambe vs Port Vale, 14th January 2020
After a gritty, unspectacular but very welcome win over Stevenage can Port Vale make it two out of two on their travels with a win over struggling Morecambe on Tuesday evening?
Team news
Loanee Jake Taylor missed the game against Stevenage and is expected to be missing for the next fortnight. In Taylor’s absence, Tom Conlon (pictured right) came back into the midfield and won the winning penalty so he will be expected to retain his place. Manny Oyeleke and Adam Crookes are still out so the Vale squad should be the same one which won at Stevenage.
Other news
The Valiants have announced that season ticket prices will be frozen once again as they promote early bird season ticket prices for next season. Meanwhile Leon Legge has praised the new owners for the way the club is being run. Vale have also released two young professionals from their squad.
Pre-match Quote
“It creates a gap to the teams below us and we are only six points off third place. So, we go to Morecambe and, if we can get back-to-back wins, then we are in a really good position…”
Port Vale manager John Askey (pictured right) is in confident mood
Stats
The two sides met earlier this season when two goals from Tom Pope and a rare thunderbolt from Luke Joyce (pictured right) gave Vale a 3-1 home win. Overall it is a dead heat with both sides winning six times and also playing out five draws. On their travels, Vale last won at Morecambe in 2012 when John McCombe, Sam Morsy and Tom Pope all scored in a 3-1 win.
Form guide
The home side are without a win in their last four matches. Morecambe last won at home on December 21st against Newport County.
On the other hand, the Valiants won their last away fixture (Tom Pope (right) scoring the winner in Saturday’s 1-0 win over Stevenage) and are now unbeaten in six games in League Two.
Opposition Guide
Following the departure of long-serving Jim Bentley to AFC Fylde, Morecambe are now managed by former Plymouth boss Derek Adams. An experienced line-up contains some familiar faces in forward Shaun Miller, winger and top scorer Lewis Alessandra, defender Jordan Cranston and goalkeeper Barry Roche. Adams has brought in four players (two permanent transfers and two loans) during the January transfer window.
Connections
- Former defender Richie Sutton (pictured right) has been a regular in the League this season with eleven starts so far.
- Striker AJ Leitch-Smith has made seven League starts but has just a solitary goal to his name so far this campaign.
- A more unusual addition is that of much-maligned Vale loanee Jordan Slew. Slew joined Morecambe this month as one of manager Derek Adams’ first signings for the club.
- In the Vale squad, striker Richie Bennett enjoyed a prolific loan spell with Morecambe last season. He scored five times in sixteen appearances.
Memory Match
There’s only really one match to pick – the home fixture on 30th April 2011. What was expected to be a run of the mill final home game of the season turned into a goalfest as Justin Richards (pictured right) and Louis Dodds both netted hat-tricks. The final score was Port Vale 7 Morecambe 2 with Marc Richards the other scorer for the Valiants. 4,134 witnessed the dramatic action unfold.
Top image: action from last season at Vale Park in the game between the two sides.