Match preview: Fleetwood vs Port Vale (friendly, August 2020)
It’s Port Vale’s second friendly of the summer as they travel to Fleetwood in a behind closed doors friendly game…
Match details:
Teams: Fleetwood vs Port Vale
Venue: Highbury Stadium training pitches
Kick-off: Tuesday 18th August
Other business:
The game will take place behind closed doors and there will be limited media access. This is at the request of Fleetwood who presumably don’t want to reveal details of trialist and/or tactics to the press. As a result, sadly there is no live stream of the game.
However, we’ll soldier on and you can also discuss the game on the forum in our dedicated matchday thread:
DISCUSS THE MATCH ON THE FORUM HEREPort Vale team news:
There as a triple injury blow ahead of Saturday’s friendly with Blackpool after the news that Mark Cullen (right), Manny Oyeleke and Ryan Campbell-Gordon all had knocks. It will be a blow if the tri0 miss another chance to get match fitness. However, this game gives trialists such as Dino Visser and David Fitzpatrick another chance to push for a permanent Port Vale deal.
Opposition team news:
It’s been another busy summer for Joey Barton (pictured right at last season’s Vale Park friendly). Probably the most high profile signing has been that of former Stoke City midfielder Glenn Whelan on a one-year deal. Also arriving are highly rated Rochdale midfielder Callum Camps and Rangers defender Jordan Rossiter.
Fleetwood won their second friendly of the summer with a 2-0 win over Stockport County on Saturday. Josh Morris and Paddy Madden were the goalscorers.
Connections
There are currently no players on either side to have played for both sides. However, probably the best remembered player to appear for both clubs was goalkeeper Chris Neal (right).
The reliable stopper is remembered fondly at Vale Park for his role in the 2013 promotion season. He was totalled 143 appearances during a four year spell with the Valiants. After leaving the club in 2016, he spent two years at Fleetwood before moving on to Salford City.
Pre-match quote:
“Our pre-season will be different than normal this year in that we are only playing teams in higher leagues. The results at this stage aren’t important or the way the games go, it’s about getting match fit…”
Port Vale manager John Askey
Last time we met:
The two sides last met in a friendly at the start of last season. In terms of competitive matches the last meeting at Fleetwood was back in April 2017 when it finished in a goalless draw.
The last game at Vale Park was in November 2016 when it finished 2-1 to Vale thanks to goals from Alex Jones and Rigino Cicilia (right).
Background of top image and second image: creative commons from Flick user quisnovus