Salford v Port Vale preview – Valiants face another key test of promotion credentials
Salford City v Port Vale preview – the Valiants will be hoping to beat play-off hopefuls Salford and boost their promotion hopes. Who will prevail? Here’s our preview…
Match details
Details:
Salford City v Port Vale
League Two
Peninsula Stadium
Tuesday April 5th, 2022, 7.45pm
Last time we met?
It ended in a 1-0 home defeat for the Valiants with Tom Elliott netting a fiftieth minute winner for the visitors.
Overall record:
1 Vale win, 2 draws and 3 defeats.
Valiants team news
Ben Garrity is set to return to the Vale midfield after missing the Barrow win through illness. It will be welcome news for Andy Crosby after Tom Pett was ruled out for three weeks. Vale are also missing captain Tom Conlon for the rest of the season while Jake Taylor has only just returned from injury and is short of match fitness. It leaves Vale short in central midfield so Garrity’s return is welcome especially as Brad Walker also looked to have picked up a knock on Saturday.
If Garrity returns, it could herald a return to the 3-5-2 formation with David Amoo dropping out of the starting eleven. Vale will continue to miss injured defenders James Gibbons, Chris Hussey and Dan Jones.
Bin the boos – back the boys
OVF recently published this appeal for supporters to get behind the team as the Valiants approach the crucial final stages of the season.
Opposition team news
Veteran Ian Henderson ended his long injury lay-off by coming off the bench during the 2-0 win over Hartlepool United.
Man in charge: Gary Bowyer
- Age: 50
- Games in charge: 44
- Win ratio: 41%
The former Blackburn and Blackpool manager was appointed in May 2021.
Recent form…
Port Vale
It’s now just one loss in sixteen for the Valiants with their recent form propelling them into the automatic promotion places.
Form (all competitions):
Top scorer (all competitions):
Garrity, Wilson (11)
The opposition
Salford are also in good form and it is eleven games since Gary Bowyer’s side last lost. They have won their last three at home.
Form (all competitions) :
Top scorer (all competitions):
Thomas-Asante (12)
Current connections
Vale striker James Wilson is set to play against his former club and will be no doubt keen to show his former side what they are missing. Wilson has a career-best eleven goals this season. However, Vale defender Dan Jones will probably miss the chance to play his former club as he is recovering from a hamstring strain.
Former Valiants defender Theo Vassell is in line to face his former teammates after establishing himself in the Salford defence. Vassell spent a single season with the Vale making 22 appearances. He has now made twenty appearances for Salford this season.
Vintage connection
Striker Devante Rodney was signed from Salford by the Valiants back in June 2020. Rodney had failed to establish himself in the Salford starting line-up but had impressed during a loan spell with Hartlepool Utd. Rodney enjoyed a fine debut season with the Vale, scoring twelve goals and being named the young player of the season. However, he struggled during this season, netting just once, and was sold to League Two rivals Walsall in the January transfer window for an undisclosed fee.
Potted history
The club was founded as Salford Central Mission in 1940 and changed its name to Salford Central in 1947.
The club’s nickname, “The Ammies”, stems from their name from the early 1960s to the early 1970s, Salford Amateurs. They changed their name again in 1989 to Salford City.
The club won promotion to the English Football League after winning the 2019 National League play-off final, under the stewardship of Graham Alexander.
Were you paying attention?
Here’s a quick quiz on the opponents:
- What was the score the last time the two sides met?
- Who is the current Salford manager?
- When were Salford formed?
- Which current Port Vale forward also played for Salford?
Quiz answers (no cheating):
- Port Vale 0-1 Salford
- Gary Bowyer
- 1940
- James Wilson