Port Vale v Exeter City preview
Port Vale v Exeter City preview: can the Valiants continue their recent good run of form against Exeter City?
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Match details:
Teams: Port Vale v Exeter City
Competition: League Two
Venue: Vale Park Stadium
Kick-off: Friday 2nd April, 3pm
Form guide:
The Valiants made it three wins in a row and took a further step away from danger at the bottom of the table. Exeter won their last game (at home to Salford) but had lost the three previous fixtures. Their last away win came back on the 9th March.
Port Vale team news:
There’s unlikely to be any changes to the Vale starting eleven unless injuries come into play. However, it will be interesting to see if the newly fit Tom Pope and the newly re-registered Harry McKirdy come into the squad. Meanwhile, this game comes too soon for James Gibbons while fellow right-back Zak Mills joins Dino Visser in missing the rest of the season.
Possible Starting XI:
Brown – Smith, Legge, Brisley – Worrall, Joyce, Conlon, Oyeleke, Montano – Rodney, Robinson
One to watch:
Theo Robinson has been praised in recent fixtures as his form picked up. The forward came close to scoring recently but is on a run of nineteen games without a goal. One on Friday would be a massive help.
Opposition manager:
Former Exeter defender Matt Taylor has been in charge since 2018. This will be his 150th game in charge and he has a win ratio of 44.3%.
Opposition team:
The Valiants will need to look out for Ryan Bowman and Matt Jay who have twelve goals and sixteen goals respectively. There’s also dangerous veteran Nicky Ajose in the squad. However, captain Jake Taylor will not feature due to injury.
Connections:
This is an opportunity for midfielder Manny Oyeleke to show his former club what they are missing. The battling midfielder has been in terrific form for the Valiants. His spell at Exeter was less spectacular with just eleven appearances in twelve months. The Valiants have another former Exeter man in goalkeeper Dino Visser but he is out of action for the rest of the season.
Last time we met:
The two sides met earlier in the season when it ended in an excellent 2-0 away win for Vale thanks to goals from Tom Conlon and Devante Rodney (pictured). The last fixture at Vale Park also ended in a Vale win – 3-1 back in January 2020 – thanks to a Richie Bennett double and another from Leon Legge.
The stats:
Overall record: 23 Port Vale wins | 19 Port Vale losses | 11 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…
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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
FAQs
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