Lincoln City v Port Vale preview – will Valiants continue slight upturn in form?
It was a better performance against Oxford Utd, but Darrell Clarke’s team are still looking for an elusive win…
Match Info
Venue: Sincil Bank
Date: 15th April, 3pm
Competition: League One
Predict the score
Preamble
It’s been an awful run of form for the Valiants but the performance against Oxford United was at least better although the Valiants still couldn’t get their long awaited win.
Pre-match comments
It is a clean sheet; that was very important because we haven’t defended particularly well in three of the last four games so hopefully that gives the boys a bit of confidence.
Port Vale manager Darrell Clarke
Port Vale team news
It will be interesting to see if Aidan Stone retains his place as the Vale goalkeeping position has been something of a merry-go-round in recent games. Jack Stevens came in for the Accrington game but made an awful error. Stone was brought in for Oxford but he was always going to start with Stevens ineligible against his parent club. So, will Stevens be brought back in or will Clarke keep faith with Stone?
Elsewhere, Matty Taylor was also ineligible against his parent club and could return with Vale looking for a cutting edge upfront. Defenders Lewis Cass and Dan Jones look set to remain on the sidelines.
Opposition team news
The home side will be missing Ted Bishop who has a hamstring problem. However, TJ Eyoma is available.
Form guide
It’s not been a great run for either side. However, Lincoln did win their last home game – against Cheltenham.
Port Vale: L-D-L-L-D
Lincoln: L-L-D-W-W
Man in charge
Former Ireland International Mark Kennedy was appointed Lincoln boss in May 2022. He has a 31% win ratio from 51 games in charge.
Familiar faces
Port Vale midfielder Tom Pett has a chance of featuring against his former side. Pett had a two year spell with the Imps during which the side secured promotion to League One. He totaled 65 appearances and five goals for the club. Pett then joined the Valiants where he repeated his promotion achievement by helping Vale to promotion through the play-offs. To date, Pett has 57 Vale appearances, scoring twice.
Through the years…
The two sides first met in 1894 when it finished in a thrilling 4-3 win for Lincoln. The Valiants drew 1-1 on their last visit to Sincil Bank – back in 2019 – with Manny Oyeleke scoring Vale’s goal.
Last time we met…
The Valiants secured a narrow 1-0 win earlier in the season thanks to a winning goal from loanee Danny Butterworth.
Overall record
33 Port Vale wins
24 draws
33 Port Vale losses
From the archives
A brief history of…
Founded in 1884, Lincoln became founder members of the Football League Second Division in 1892, remaining there until they failed re-election in 1908. They won immediate re-election after winning the next year’s Midland League, and would repeat this feat after failing re-election again in 1911 and 1920.
Founder members of the Football League Third Division North in 1921, they won promotion as champions in 1931–32, but were relegated two seasons later. Crowned Third Division North champions again in 1947–48, they were relegated the next year, but would remain in the second tier for nine seasons after again winning the Third Division North title in 1951–52. Two successive relegations left them in the Fourth Division by 1962, where they would remain until Graham Taylor’s title winning campaign of 1975–76.
Relegated in 1978–79, they secured promotion again two years later but suffered a double relegation to find themselves in the Conference by 1987. Lincoln made an immediate recovery however, regaining their Football League status with the Conference title in 1987–88. They were promoted again in 1997–98, but were relegated the next season. They reached the play-offs in five consecutive seasons, from 2002 to 2007, losing in the final twice (2002–03 and 2004–05) and the semi-finals three times, which is a competition record. However they exited the division at the other end when they were returned to the Conference after relegation at the end of the 2010–11 campaign. A six-season stay in non-league was ended when Cowley brothers, Nicky and Danny, led the club to the National League title in 2016–17, as well as a run to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup – this made them the first non-league side to reach that stage in 103 years. They won the Football League Trophy in 2018 and the League Two title in 2018–19.
Were you paying attention?
Our traditional quiz…
- Who is the current Lincoln CIty manager?
- What was the score the last time the two teams met?
- In which year were the club formed?
- Which Vale midfielder had a two year spell with the Imps?
Answers below (no cheating)…
Quiz answers…
- Mark Kennedy
- Port Vale 1-0 Lincoln City
- 1884
- Tom Pett