Port Vale v Barnsley preview – will it be Valentines Day joy or heartache for Valiants?
After a poor first-half display on Saturday can the Valiants build on a better second-half display?
Predict the score
Preamble
It’s clearly been a poor run of form for Port Vale and they badly need a win to address it and avoid getting dragged into the relegation zone. There will be worries at the back and the front although the latter could be addressed if January signing Matty Taylor is fit to start.
Pre-match comments
It is a big learning curve for these players and certainly our young players… we keep going, we keep building, we have another game Tuesday night and we will go again
Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke
It’s just back to basics. Do your job, concentrate on yourself, don’t worry about everyone else, look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘I’m going to do all I can today’. If 11 of us on the pitch, 18 in the squad, do that, ultimately you will come out on the right end of the result. It’s fine margins, and hopefully it will turn for us soon, we just have to keep putting in the work
Port Vale striker Jamie Proctor
It’s another tough game. We’re going there to try and win the game; the boys are confident and in a good vein of form, so we’ll go to try and win. They’re a team that are organised and do the basics well. It’s going to be a scrap, and we’re going to have to live up to that and scrap with them to get the three points.
Barnsley’s Jordan Williams
Port Vale team news
Let’s take this position by position…
Up-front there is the possibility of Matty Taylor (pictured) being fit to be considered. We wonder if it will be one of Taylor and Proctor to start with the other on the bench. Dennis Politic looked lively and should keep his place in the front three while Gavin Massey looked better when moved from central to wide so he could play on the other side of the central striker.
Now onto the defence, where there are some big issues to resolve. In an ideal world we’d like to see a back three of (from right to left) of Forrester, Smith and Jones. However, if Dan Jones is unable to feature then Aaron Donnelly, who has look culpable in recent games, could earn a reprieve.
As for the rest of the team… it would be no surprise to see David Worrall return on the right at the expense of Sammy Robinson.
Opposition team news
This match will come too soon for injured duo Robbie Cundy and Josh Benson. Matty Wolfe and Conor McCarthy are also long-term injured. However, Luke Thomas and Slobodan Tedic are in contention after returning from knocks. Meanwhile, Max Watters was dismissed during Saturday’s game and will miss this match.
Form guide
Vale’s poor form contrasts with Barnsley who are unbeaten in their last four games…
Port Vale: L-D-L-D-L
Barnsley: L-W-W-D-W
Man in charge
Belfast-born 44 year-old Michael Duff was appointed in June after a successful stint at Charlton Athletic. His Barnsley record is 37 games with a 54% win ratio.
Familiar faces
Barnsley will be very familiar to Port Vale Director of Football David Flitcroft who managed the club between 2012 and 2013. He had a 31% win ratio during his time at the club.
Vintage connection
The late Lee Collins was sold from Port Vale to Barnsley in 2012 as the club tried to raise money after going into administration. He made over 150 appearances for the Valiants but just seven for the Tykes.
Through the years…
The two sides first met in 1898 when it finished in a 2-0 home win for the Valiants. The last League home fixture finished in a 1-0 home loss for the Valiants back in 2016.
Last time we met…
The sides met in the Football League trophy at Vale Park with the Valiants winning 2-1 thanks to goals from Dennis Politic and David Worrrall.
Overall record
47 Port Vale wins
20 draws
46 Port Vale losses
From the archives
Courtesy of our YouTube channel, here’s a full match from the 1990s…
A brief history of…
The club were founded in 1887 and since 1888 they have been based at the Oakwell stadium. They joined the Football League in 1898. They reached the FA Cup final, where they lost out to Newcastle United after a replay. In 1912, they reached the FA Cup final again, and defeated West Bromwich Albion 1–0 once again after a replay. They have also won the Football League Trophy in 2016.
Were you paying attention?
Our traditional quiz…
- Who is the current Barnsley manager?
- What was the score the last time the two teams met?
- In which year were the club formed?
- When did Barnsley win the Football League Trophy?
Answers below (no cheating)…
Quiz answers…
- Michael Duff
- Port Vale 2-1 Barnsley
- 1887
- 2016