Port Vale v Burton Albion preview – can Valiants make it three in a row unbeaten?
Darrell Clarke’s side will be looking to stretch their two game unbeaten run when they host Burton at Vale Park…
Predict the score
Pre-match thoughts
We had a really strong first half of the season. We then hit a massive black spot where, although some of the performances were decent, we didn’t get the points. Then in the last five games, we have found our performance levels again. Yes, we have lost a couple of games in that run but certainly the performances have been good and I am looking for that more so from the last ten games.
Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke
You’ve got to be up to the challenge when you play Port Vale. You’ve got to do the basics well; you’ve got to scrap and compete. You’ve got to cover lots of distance because it’s a very big pitch. You’ve got to do all those things and you’ve got to play football as well. When you get the ball you have to make sure you work it nicely and go forward with it, because it’s important that when you play on these big pitches that you don’t just defend.
Burton manager Dino Maamria
Preamble
It was another frustrating ninety minutes last Saturday when the Valiants took an early lead only for Fleetwood to level matters up in the second-half. Can Vale do better on Saturday?
Port Vale team news
Darrell Clarke has suggested that both James Wilson and Ben Garrity will be in contention for this game as they recover from injury. He has also hinted at chances for youngsters Tommy McDermott and James Plant although with the pair on loan, that is more likely to be in future games. Defender Dan Jones remains on the long-term injured list.
Opposition team news
Midfielder Deji Oshilaja is suspended and missing the second game of a three match ban. However, Chris McCann could be fit again after injury. Tom Hamer is doubtful with a hamstring problem.
Form guide
Both teams have had patchy recent form. Burton last won away on the 18th February at Bristol Rovers…
Port Vale: W-D-L-L-W
Burton: L-W-L-D-W
Man in charge
Tunisian Dino Maamria has been in charge since September following the resignation of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. He has had previous spells in charge of Stevenage and Oldham Athletic. His win ratio at Burton stands at 40% from 35 games.
Familiar faces
There are no players in either squad who have appeared for either side, so on to…
Vintage connection
Port Vale legend Stan Turner finished his playing career with Burton Albion. The tough-tackling defender was a key player in the famous Iron Curtain side of 1954 despite not speaking to fellow full-back Reg Potts due to a mutual dislike of each other. Turner joined Vale in 1949 and left in 1957 after over two hundred appearances for the side.
Through the years…
The two sides first met in 2010 at Vale Park when it finished in a 3-1 win for the Valiants thanks to goals from Marc Richards (2) and Sean Rigg. Our first competitive trip to Burton ended in a 1-0 defeat.
One of the more memorable games was that 7-1 win in 2013 which helped the Valiants to promotion. A Lee Hughes hat-trick, Ben Williamson brace plus goals for Tom Pope and Chris Birchall secured the victory in front of a bumper crowd of 10,978.
Last time we met…
The Valiants earned a good away win earlier this season thanks to goals from Ben Garrity and Ellis Harrison. It played out in front of 3,777 fans.
From the archives
A brief history of…
Burton Albion were formed in 1950 and initially joined the Birmingham & District League. Nigel Clough spent seven seasons as the club’s player-manager in the Conference and then led them into the Football League as champions of the Conference in 2008–09. They lost the 2014 League Two play-off final, but went on to win the League Two title in 2014–15 and were promoted from League One in 2015–16. Burton spent two seasons in the Championship until relegation in 2018.
Were you paying attention?
Our traditional quiz…
- Who is the current Burton Albion manager?
- What was the score the last time the two teams met?
- In which year were the club formed?
- When did the two sides first play each other?
Answers below (no cheating)…
Quiz answers…
- Dino Maamria
- Burton Albion 0-2 Port Vale
- 1950
- 2010