Oldham Athletic v Port Vale preview – will depleted Valiants make it eight unbeaten?
Oldham Athletic v Port Vale. The Valiants will be looking to make it eight in a row without defeat when they visit Boundary Park. Here’s our match preview…
Match details
Details:
Oldham Athletic v Port Vale, League Two
Where:
Boundary Park stadium
When:
Saturday 20th November, 3pm
Last time we met?
It finished in a goalless draw at Vale Park last season. In the away fixture, Vale won 2-1 thanks to goals from defenders Nathan Smith and Mitch Clark.
Overall record:
33 Vale wins, 21 draws and 29 defeats.
We stand in solidarity with the Oldham fans
We Vale fans remember the dark days of protests against our owners and we’ll be forever grateful for the support of fans from other clubs.
We are aware of the issues at Oldham Athletic and stand together with supporters who are protesting against the way the club is being run. As members of the lower league football family we want every club to be run properly and hope that there are better days in the future for Athletic.
We would recommend you visit the excellent Push the Boundary website and show your support.
Pre-match quotes
In the games we have watched them play, they have been very effective. They are not quite getting the results but are a very good forward-thinking team that are probably a little disappointed with their points return so far, but they are fighting and scrapping and I expect nothing but a very tough game. You always get a game against Keith Curle’s teams, I have come up against him as a manager numerous times. We will have to be at our best, that’s for sure. We have to go there and be right at it with our game plan to make sure we try to get the win…
Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke
Valiants team news
It will be a depleted Vale side who travel to Oldham. Defender Nathan Smith is suspended and is expected to be replaced by either Aaron Martin or Leon Legge.
However, there are perhaps more severe issues upfront. Jamie Proctor is probably still a week away from returning while James Wilson will be missing after suffering a broken foot. It robs Vale of their joint top-scorers. Youth teamer Eden Bailey is also ruled out while Devante Rodney has a heel issue the club are “managing”. It means George Lloyd, David Amoo and Dennis Politic are the only fully fit forwards at Darrell Clarke’s disposal.
In midfield, the main issue looks to be whether to start with Jake Taylor or Ben Garrity but as usual, predicting a Vale line-up is mostly guesswork thanks to Darrell Clarke’s clever use of different formations and players to suit each individual match.
Opposition team news
Former Port Vale loanee Sam Hart has returned to fitness for the Latics while Ouss Cisse, Nicky Adams and Jamie Hopcutt are also nearing full fitness for the home side.
- Man in charge: Keith Curle
- Age: 58
- Appointed: March 2021
- Games in charge: 38
- Win ratio: 21%
Recent form…
Port Vale
It’s seven unbeaten for the Valiants now although the home draw against Bradford City in front of TV cameras last Saturday wasn’t one of the Vale’s better performances.
Form:
Top scorer:
Proctor, Wilson (7)
The opposition
In contrast, Oldham are seven games without a win. Their last League outing saw them lose away at Exeter and their last home win was back in mid-October.
Form:
Top scorer:
Bahamboula (3)
Current connections
Summer signing Ben Garrity will be keen to play this game against a side for whom he had a season on loan last season. At Boundary Park, Garrity made 29 League appearances and scored two times. However, as one of seven loan signings by then Oldham manager Harry Kewell he often faced a battle to be in the match squad while injuries also limited his appearances during his time at the club.
He’s impressed since joining the Valiants, scoring three times in 18 appearances.
Port Vale winger/wingback David Worrall also spend a spell on loan at Oldham back in 2014. He made eighteen appearances, scoring once. Worrall is now closing on two hundred appearances for the Valiants after joining in 2017.
On the opposing side, former Port Vale loanee Callum Whelan is in the Oldham squad. The former Man Utd midfielder failed to make a senior appearance during his time at Vale Park but now has 59 appearances for the Latics. There’s also former loanee Sam Hart, who has recently returned to the line-up after injury.
Vintage connection
Midfielder Danny Whitaker served both clubs with distinction. The elegant midfielder joined the Valiants in 2006 after leaving Macclesfield Town. He was near ever-present during his first season and made over 40 appearances in his second. However, with Vale’s wage bill cut after relegation, Whitaker rejected a new contract and opted to join Oldham. He had made 98 appearances and scored 15 times for the Valiants.
His spell at Oldham saw him make 87 appearances and score 11 times over a two year spell. He later had spells with Chesterfield and a second spell with Macclesfield, finishing with 762 appearances and 126 goals.
From the archives
Photos (you may want to look away though) from a heavy home defeat back in 2018:
Potted history
The club was founded in 1895 under the name Pine Villa. In 1899, they changed their name to Oldham Athletic and were elected to the Football League in 1907. They finished second in the First Division in 1915 and during the glory years of the 1990s they reached the League Cup final and two FA Cup semi-finals. They also became founding members of the Premier League in 1992.
Boundary Park was originally opened in 1896 for Oldham County. When that club collapsed in 1899, Oldham Athletic took over the stadium. The record attendance is over 43,000 for a game against Sheffield Wednesday in 1930.
Were you paying attention?
Here’s a quick quiz on the opponents:
- Which two Vale defenders scored at Boundary Park last season?
- Who is the current Oldham Athletic manager?
- When were Oldham Athletic founded?
- Which year did they finish second in the First Division?
Quiz answers (no cheating):
- Nathan Smith and Mitch Clark
- Keith Curle
- 1895
- 1915