Can John Askey’s Port Vale side bounce back from the defeat to Cambridge United with an away win at Oldham?
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DISCUSS THIS GAME ON THE DEDICATED FORUM THREADMatch details:
Teams: Oldham Athletic v Port Vale
Competition: League Two
Venue: Boundary Park
Kick-off: Saturday 24th October, 3pm
Form guide:
The Valiants will be keen to address their League form which has seen them lose three of the last four games. Oldham are only doing marginally better with two draws, a win and a loss from their last four games.
Port Vale team news:
Port Vale team news:Port Vale are expected to have defender Zak Mills and David Amoo (pictured) to their squad. Of the pair, Amoo is most sorely needed and could well be an option from the bench. However, Manny Oyeleke and Harry McKirdy are both set to miss out. It will also be interesting to see what side and formation Askey opts for after the toothless second-half showing against Cambridge United.
With that in mind, our guesswork XI is exactly that…
Guesswork XI:
Brown – Clark, Legge, Smith, Fitzpatrick – Joyce, Burgess, Conlon – Rodney, Robinson, Worrall
One to watch:
Theo Robinson has looked threatening in recent matches although John Askey remarked he faded a little in midweek, no doubt due to the player still gaining full match fitness. Will another match under his belt help him and also strengthen his claim to be the club’s first choice central striker?
Opposition team news:
Oldham are likely to be led by coach Alan Maybury after manager Harry Kewell tested positive for coronavirus in midweek.
It’s been a busysummer for Odham with Carl Piergianni, Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, Bobby Grant, David Keillor-Dunn, Conor McAleny, Callum Whelan, Kyle Jameson and Jordan Barnett all signing. Ben Garrity and Alfie McCalmont also joined on loan while trialist Andrea Badan was signed permanently along with Congo international Dylan Bahamboula.
One to watch:
Conor McAleny has had a great start to his Oldham career having notched six goals in his eight games so far. The former Fleetwood man has eight goals from ten appearances including five in the League.
Opposition manager:
Former Leeds Utd and Liverpool player Harry Kewell has been in charge of Oldham since the start of the season. His record thus far is four wins from eleven games. Kewell had earlier spells as manager at Crawley Town and Notts County.
It is doubtful that Kewell will be in attendance for this game after he tested positive for coronavirus in midweek. In his absence, assistant Alan Maybury will be on the bench.
Pre-match quote:
Pre-match quote:I know what works best but players don’t always play to the maximum. Confidence is a big thing in football. If you are not playing particularly well then you have to give something to the team and I can’t say that, as a team, we have had everybody playing really well at the same time. There has been a little bit of inconsistency, but once they do then we won’t be far off…
John Askey
Connections:
Connections:He may not be involved as he recovers from injury, but this could be an opportunity for Zak Mills (pictured) to face his former club. Released by Oldham at the end of last season, he moved to Burslem in the summer.
The Valiants will come up against former loanee Callum Whelan who has been a regular in the Latics midfield this season. It was a different story when Whelan joined Vale in January 2019 as he was signed by owner Norman Smurthwaite but when John Askey was appointed he decided he wasn’t ready for first-team football and failed to make a single senior appearance.
Also facing his former club could be Cristian Montano (pictured) who spent a year at Oldham between 2012 and 2013.
Recent players to have played for both clubs:
Midfielder Danny Whitaker, defender Gareth Owen (pictured), striker Craig Davies, winger Chris Eagles and left-back Dan Jones have all appeared for both sides .
Last time we met:
Last time we met:The two sides last met last season in a dour 0-0 encounter back in October 2019. The last visit to Boundary Park was in October 2018 and Vale won 1-0 thanks to a Tom Pope (pictured) penalty. That result made it five visits to Oldham without a loss for the Valiants although four of those have been draws.
Overall record: 32 Port Vale wins | 29 Port Vale losses | 20 draws
How to watch:
Finally, let’s deal with watching this behind closed doors game. It will be available to watch on the iFollow service. Here’s how to watch it…
Non season ticket holders
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- If you don’t have an existing iFollow account sign up here
- If you have an existing iFollow account sign in here
- When signed in go to this page, select Video packages, select the relevant game and pay
- On matchday, go to this page and there will be an option at the bottom to watch live video
Season ticket holders
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- If you don’t have an existing iFollow account sign up here
- If you have an existing iFollow account sign in here
- When signed in go to this page, select Video packages, select the relevant game and enter the promo code you have been given to sign-up for free (you’ll need to do this for every game)
- On matchday, go to this page and there will be an option at the bottom to watch live video
FAQs
Q: I am a season ticket holder and I haven’t received a code / I have a problem with my code?
A: Season Ticket holders who experience problems or have not received a code, should contact the Ticket Office on 01782 655821. You can also email: [email protected].
Q: Do I have to set up the account/buy the pass on the day of the match?
A: No, you can set up your iFollow account and/or buy your match pass in advance if it is easier. All you need to do then is log onto iFollow on the day of the match go to this page and there will be an option at the bottom to watch live video.
Q: Can I watch it down the pub?
A: No, it’s illegal to show iFollow streams in public so they would be breaking the law. The service is for private use only.
Q: Can I watch it on the TV screen?
A: The iFollow service is available via an app or a browser. Probably the simplest way to watch it on the TV screen is to watch the stream on a browser and connect your computer to your TV via a HDMI lead. The video and audio should then show on your screen.
Q: What about the programme?
A: Ahead of the game Port Vale will also be sending all season ticket holders a link to a complimentary digital copy of our new-look matchday programme! If you do not receive your digital copy by 1pm on Saturday, then please contact us on the numbers provided above. Additionally, if you wish to collect a physical copy of the programme ahead of kick off – please contact the club shop.
Q: What commentary will be provided?
A: Usually commentary from both teams (home and away) is provided. In Vale’s case it is usually the BBC Radio Stoke commentary team. When the match starts, click on the cog on the bottom RH corner to select home or away commentary.
Q: Does Port Vale make money from iFollow?
A: Yes and in these days of behind closed door matches, the revenue from iFollow can be vital. Clubs like Vale earn around 80% of the cost of an iFollow ticket regardless of whether the game is played home or away.
Q: What about if I still have an issue?
A: If you are experiencing problems with iFollow should contact EFL iFollow by telephone – 0207 8264577 (three hours before kick-off and running until three hours after matches finish) or by email – [email protected] (staffed from 8am to 7pm every day).
Need more information? We have a dedicated forum thread with help and advice right here. There’s also a guide on setting up an iFollow account while here is a guide for season ticket holders redeeming a code
Top image: “Boundary Park North Stand Interior” by Diego Sideburns is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Wheelgrinder
23rd October 2020 @ 5:33 pm
No chance Latics are for once on the right road with this manager and his assistant, watch us go