Newport County v Port Vale preview – pressure mounting for underperforming Port Vale

After two successive League defeats, Darren Moore is under increasing pressure to start producing results with his expensively compiled Valiants squad.

The Vale perspective

Form

Not good. Vale struggled past Wolves U21 in the Football League Trophy following two League defeats to Doncaster Rovers and Barrow respectively. Patience is running thin and questions are being asked about tactics and formations. To sum up, this Vale side needs to gel and quickly.

Fitness

If there’s one thing Vale didn’t need, it would be another injury to one of the full-back positions. With Mitch Clark already ruled out for some time, the news that Sam Hart could face a similarly long lay-off was a major blow. Kyle John is likely to deputise in Hart’s absence. Dan Jones and Conor Grant remain sidelined.

Team selection

It’s possible that experienced Nathan Smith could be drafted into the defence in place of Jesse Debrah. George Byers is also nearing full fitness but this may be a game too soon. However, it will be interesting to see if Moore answers some of the questions raised by fans in recent days which include – will he play Ben Garrity in his best attacking midfield role and will he partner two strikers together upfront?

Viewing guide

With the Premier League not in action, the blackout does not apply and so Sky+ is showing this game to fans in the UK at 3pm. Fans based overseas can watch it via the PVTV service.

The opposition

Man in charge

45 year-old Nelson Jardim is a relatively unknown in League Two this season. Hailing from Portugal, he has previously been a coach at Swansea City and Birmingham City. His fledgling record stands at one win from three games.

Form

Newport probably won’t be too bothered about a Football League Trophy defeat in midweek. Arguably what’s more important is a run of three straight League Two victories in a row.

Summer signings

It’s been a summer of changes at Rodney Parade with fourteen new faces added. However, arguably the biggest news from the transfer window was the loss of highly rated forward Will Evans to Mansfield Town. Incoming players include Grimsby left-back Anthony Glennon, former Stoke defender Matt Baker, Burton forward Bobby Kamwa and Cardiff midfielder Cameron Antwi.

Connections

Current connections

There are no players on either side who have played for the opposition.

Vintage connections

Over the years there have been a number of players to feature for both clubs. The list includes midfielder Harry Charsley, striker Jamie Proctor, midfielder Sam Foley and forward Mark Harris.

Featured connection

Forward Sean Rigg had spells with both clubs. A Micky Adams signing for the Valiants in 2010, he played 104 times for the club, scoring eighteen goals. After spells with Oxford Utd and AFC Wimbledon, he joined Newport in 2016 and scored two goals in 61 appearances.

History

Last time we met

A Ben Garrity goal was in vain in May 2022 as the Valiants lost 2-1 at home. That was the same score as the fixture at Rodney Parade as County did the double over the Vale that season.

Fixture history

The two clubs first met in 1938 when the match ended 2-1 to the Valiants. Somewhat bizarrely it took place in the Third Division South. The scorer of Vale’s first goal against County was William O’Brien. The first meeting since Newport’s reformation took place in 2017. It finished in a 1-1 draw with Anton Forrester on target.

Memorable matches

Newport were the opponents when the Vale Park stadium was opened in 1950. The match ended in a 1-0 win for the Vale and there’s a feature on that game here Probably the most memorable game of all took place in May 1987. At half-time the score was Andy Jones 5-0 Newport and the eventual result was a 6-1 Port Vale victory.

Archive

This website has been in operation for over 25 years and in that time has acquired lots of Port Vale related memorabilia (we have over 10,000 Port Vale images). Here’s a few clippings involving Newport games…

Brief history

The club was formed in 1912 and became founder members of the Football League Third Division in 1920. They reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals in 1981 but financial problems saw the club go out of business in 1989. The club reformed and reached the Conference in 2010 and then returned to the Football League in 2012.

Opinion and quiz

Discuss the game

Want to discuss things before, during and after the game? Our forum’s dedicated match thread is the place to be. Share your views with fellow fans…

Newport County v Port Vale match thread

Predict the score

Quiz

Have you been paying attention? Here’s our traditional preview quiz

(answers below – no cheating)

Quiz answers

1. Nelson Jardim
2. Five (!)
3. Port Vale 1-2 Newport County
4. 1912

The tough one: Carl Zeiss Jena

How do you think the match will go for the Valiants? Share your thoughts and post a comment below.