Can Kian Harratt help Port Vale claim victory over Leyton Orient?
On 22 January, Port Vale will face off against Leyton Orient at Brisbane Road. Both teams are sitting near the middle of the table and both seem to have hit a run of bad luck. Getting back after the Christmas break can always be a bit rocky – but this could be more than that.
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With teams that are fairly evenly matched, sometimes it can all come down to one player to make a difference. Is Kian Harratt that player for Port Vale? Will he lead his team to victory over Leyton Orient?
The season so far
Port Vale are currently sitting at ninth in the table. The team has had some very high scoring wins – 6-2 against Newcastle Town and 5-1 against Accrington Town come to mind – and none of their losses have been as dramatic.
The Valiants are a strong team who are holding their own. Despite the 62 league places that separate the two teams, Brentford’s Thomas Frank said ahead of their FA Cup third round meeting that they were a “tricky team” that he had a lot of respect for.
One of the issues lately is that they’ve gotten a bit sloppy. An own goal and a red card in the match against Swindon last week sealed their fate, despite the early equalizer by Harratt. Dan Jones’ red card came late in the match against Newport County but it still suggests a lack of control.
Fans seem divided over whether this string of losses is a sign that the team is collapsing or just a hiccup in an otherwise decent season. Either way, this season’s performance isn’t going to be see them being promoted, but not every season can be a winner.
That being said, even with this recent string of losses, Port Vale are still only five points off being in the top five. That’s fairly impressive, just like their +9 goal difference. This match against Leyton Orient could be just what the team need to get back on their feet.
Leyton Orient’s season
Leyton Orient are heading into Saturday’s match at 13th in the league table. Just like Port Vale, they’re a high scoring team that has hit a string of losses and draws. They’ve also got a lot to prove as they fight to regain the confidence of their fans.
Leyton Orient have had a dramatically rough decade. They were relegated down from League One to the National League over the course of just three seasons. They clawed back a promotion to League Two during the 2018-19 season but the team still seems a bit unsettled by the experience.
Despite their struggles, Leyton Orient has maintained a devoted fan base who saw the team’s failings as the fault of the owner, not the players. Their very vocal presence at Brisbane Road might give the O’s the inspiration they need to pull off a win against Port Vale.
Kian Harratt
Kian Harratt has already made his presence felt – the day after it was announced he was joining the team on loan from Huddersfield Town, he scored Port Vale’s only goal in their match against Brentford. With that kind of an introduction, it will be interesting to watch how the rest of his stay at Port Vale plays out.
Harratt is a young striker that Huddersfield Town has been loaning out to get the experience he needs. His previous two stints at non-league teams Harrogate Town and Guiseley have given him that experience, as evidenced by his bump up to Port Vale.
He’s an aggressive scorer with a lot of energy, and as Huddersfield Town Head of Football Operations Leigh Bromby has stated, Port Vale have big plans for Harratt and is an ideal development team that will give him the challenges he needs to improve and excel.
As for the match against Leyton Orient? The Valiants have rarely lost a match by more than one goal this season. If he’s as aggressive and consistent a striker as it looks like he’s going to be, that might be all that’s needed to tip the scales in Port Vale’s favour.
Sometimes the addition of new young talent is all it takes to shake a team out of the doldrums and get them back on track. Harratt could be the energising spark that Port Vale need right now. The match against Leyton Orient will be a great chance for him to show what he’s made of.