Mansfield Town v Port Vale play-off final preview – promotion chance at Wembley for Valiants
Mansfield Town v Port Vale preview – there’s everything to play for as the sides meet up at Wembley stadium. Here’s our preview.
Match details
Details:
Mansfield Town v Port Vale
League Two, play-off final
Wembley stadium
Saturday May 28th, 2022, 4pm
Last time we met?
The Valiants have the upper hand after the two League encounters with a draw at Mansfield followed by a 3-1 victory at Vale Park where sub Kian Harratt was the matchwinner.
Overall record:
23 Vale wins, 17 draws and 18 defeats
Latest play-off final news
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Valiants team news
Striker Jamie Proctor was a noticeable absentee from the nailbiting semi-final win over Swindon Town. Kian Harratt did well in Proctor’s absence, setting up James Wilson for Vale’s goal and it’s likely that Harratt will start with Proctor perhaps on the bench if he’s fit enough to do so.
At the back, James Gibbons impressed playing on the right side of defence, coming in for veteran Aaron Martin and it’s highly likely he will do so again at Wembley.
Former Mansfield men Mal Benning and Harry Charsley both featured in the Swindon game and both are likely to be in the Vale squad at the weekend.
Opposition team news
Mansfield have shown flexibility in terms of line-up and formation in recent weeks so it’s tricky to predict who will start. Matty Longstaff and Jamie Murphy will both be trying to force their way into the side, after they had to settle for a place on the bench in the second-leg of the semi-finals.
Man in charge: Nigel Clough
- Age: 56
- Games in charge: 94
- Win ratio: 46%
The vastly experienced Clough was appointed back in November 2020 as successor to Graham Coughlan.
Recent form…
Port Vale
Vale’s recent form has been poor but they have tended to come good when required (as the win at Exeter and the semi-final win over Swindon will attest)
Form (all competitions):
Top scorer (all competitions):
Wilson (14)
The opposition
The Stags are in good form, having been unbeaten in their last six games. That run includes home and away wins over Northampton in the play-offs.
Form (all competitions) :
Top scorer (all competitions):
Oates (13)
Connections
There’s plenty of them… Vale wingback Mal Benning spent six years with Mansfield before opting to join the Valiants in the summer. Midfielder Harry Charsley is another Vale addition from the Stags with the midfielder making the switch in the January transfer window. Last but not least, penalty shootout hero Aidan Stone is another Port Vale addition from the Mansfield ranks.
Meanwhile, there are connections in the Vale backroom staff. Director of Football David Flitcroft was manager at Mansfield for a year and took them into the play-offs. Meanwhile, manager Darrell Clarke had a long playing spell with the Stags making 173 appearances during a six year stay with his hometown club.
From the archives
Some images from our very first visit to the old Wembley stadium back in 1993. That game is covered in more detail in our dedicated section here
Potted history
The club was formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans and changing its name to Mansfield Wesley in 1902 and finally Mansfield Town in 1910. They were admitted to the Football League in 1931 before losing their League status in 2008. They spent five years in non-league before returning in 2013.
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 Mansfield Town manager?
- When were Mansfield Town formed?
- Name three current Vale players who used to play for Mansfield?
Quiz answers (no cheating):
- Port Vale 3-1 Mansfield Town
- Nigel Clough
- 1897
- Mal Benning, Harry Charsley and Aidan Stone