Port Vale v Crewe Alex (EFL Trophy) preview – will Vale beat Alex in the cup for a second time?

Port Vale take on near neighbours Crewe in the second of two cup ties against the Alex. How will the in-form Valiants fare?

Venue: Vale Park stadium | Date: 5th September2023, 7.45pm | Competition: Football League Trophy

Preamble

How much will that disastrous penalty shootout in the EFL Cup affect our visitors? The Valiants continue to be bang on form in the League but a cup tie against local rivals probably means form goes out of the window especially with both sides likely to be much changed.

Port Vale team news

James Wilson left the field early during the win over Oxford United so this could be an opportunity for Vale to give new signing Ryan Loft a run-out. The striker isn’t cup tied having only featured in the League for Bristol Rovers. The likes of Rhys Walters, Jack Shorrock, Jason Lowe and Ben Garrity could all be in line for starts as could reserve keeper Jayson Leutwiler. Kofi Balmer, Dan Jones and Tom Conlon remain sidelined. Alfie Devine, Oliver Arblaster and Josh Thomas are all on International duty this week and will also miss out.

Editor’s note – this section edited to take account of International call-ups 

Opposition team news

Our visitors sit in 11th place in League Two and won their last game 3-1 against MK Dons. Summer signing, defender Mickey Demetriou is the club’s top-scorer this season with three goals. Demetriou is one of a number of summer additions with others including midfielder Jack Powell, striker Shilow Tracey and defender Ryan Cooney.

Man in charge

40 year-old former player Lee Bell was promoted to first-team manager after Alex Morris stepped down. Appointed in November 2022 he has been in charge for 38 games with a 32% win ratio.

Familiar faces

Former Crewe loanee Conor Grant could be involved in Vale’s squad. Grant spent a spell on loan with Crewe in 2017 and moved to the Valiants this summer on a free transfer.

Other players in recent years to play for both include Brad Walker, AJ Leitch-Smith and Uche Ikpeazu.

Through the years…

The two sides first met way back in 1892 when the first game between the two ended in a comprehensive 4-1 win for Vale. However, Crewe turned it around winning the return fixture 5-0. Vale have won the last three fixtures between the sides with Crewe’s last win in Burslem coming in 2017.

Last time we met…

Well, it only a few days ago. The Valiants triumphed 2-0 in a dramatic penalty shootout after the two sides played out a 0-0 draw in the EFL Cup earlier this season.

Overall record

39 Port Vale wins | 23 draws | 20 Port Vale losses

From the archive

We thought it may be worth revisiting this article from our archives:

Five of the best Port Vale signings from Crewe Alex

Port Vale signings from Crewe Alex: it’s a controversial move at the best of times, but here are five transfers from our near neighbours which have most benefitted the Valiants.

Read more

A brief history of…

Formed in 1877, Crewe joined the Football League Second Division in 1892. The club had to wait till 1963 for their first promotion. The club’s greatest period of success came under Dario Gradi, responsible for discovering the likes of David Platt, Danny Murphy and Rob Jones, and who managed the side for well over a thousand games.

Join the debate

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Crewe (EFL Trophy) match thread