AFC Wimbledon v Port Vale preview – a huge game for Port Vale’s promotion hopes

Here’s our preview…

The Vale perspective

Form

Good but not great. Vale hit top form in late March with four successive wins. However, in their last two games they have lost against strugglers Carlisle United and snatched a late draw at home against Grimsby Town. After a loss and a draw can they now record a win in this crucial game?

Fitness

The Valiants have confirmed that skipper Ben Garrity will not be available for the remaining gams of the season. He joins Kyle John, Ben Heneghan and James Plant in missing the climax to the 2024-25 season. However, wingback Jaheim Headley marked his comeback by coming on as a sub against Grimsby Town. Fellow wingback Sam Hart is a slight doubt after picking up a knock on Saturday.

Team selection

There were some impressive performances from the bench on Saturday. It means that Rhys Walters, Jaheim Headley, Ronan Curtis and Rico Richards have all done their chances good. Of those players, Curtis perhaps has the best chance of playing and replacing Rakeem Harper. Darren Moore seems to favour fit again George Byers which could prevent a start for Walters while Headley is only just back from injury and may not be risked from the start (unless Hart is unable to play). Richards also seems more likely to be used as a impact sub.

Viewing guide

This early kick-off is being broadcast on Sky+ in the UK and fans not able to attend will be able to watch it. Port Vale fans based overseas can watch it via the PVTV service.

The opposition

Man in charge

42 year-old former Charlton Athletic player Johnnie Jackson took over as AFC Wimbledon manager in May 2022 following their relegation from League One. His record stands at 61 wins from 165 games in charge of the club. He also had a previous managerial spell as Charlton boss, managing the club for 40 games.

Form

Wimbledon can’t catch the Valiants, but they can still mathematically reach the automatic promotion places. This game will therefore also be a huge one for the home side. However, their recent form is poor with just one win in their last seven games. They drew their last home game 0-0 with Chesterfield.

Team news

Wimbledon captain Jake Reeves will serve the third and final game of his three-match suspension on Saturday lunchtime. However, Wimbledon’s midfield ranks were reinforced by the return of Sam Hutchinson over the Easter period, while Myles Hippolyte is also back in training and nearing a return.

Connections

Current connections

The Valiants should come up against former defender Ryan Johnson who is currently vice captain at the Dons. Johnson was arguably unlucky during his spell with Vale as he struggled for game time. He moved to Wimbledon in 2023 and has 46 appearances for them.

In terms of the Vale ranks, Ronan Curtis will come up against his former club. The Irishman made seventeen appearances for the Dons and scored five times including a memorable strike against hated rivals Milton Keynes. There’s also Ethan Chislett, who Vale signed from the Dons at the start of last season and Ben Heneghan who spent two years at Wimbledon but will miss this game through injury.

Vintage connections

There have been a number of players to appear for both clubs over the years. The list includes:

• Defender Kofi Balmer had loan spells with both clubs
• Forward Kaid Mohamed was loaned to the Dons by Vale
• Defender Chris Hussey played for both
• And let’s not forget winger Gareth Ainsworth who was signed for £2m from Vale by the Dons

Featured connection

Oh come on, we know it’s obvious but we couldn’t really not have Robbie Earle in this segment. A club legend for both clubs, Earle started his career with the Valiants and propered under the management of (guess who) John Rudge. Earle won three promotions and formed a terrific partnership with Ray Walker in the Vale engineroom. Eventually, richer clubs came and Earle moved to Wimbledon for £775,000 where he made exactly 350 appearances in the top-flight. Earle also represented Jamaica in the World Cup finals.

History

Last time we met

A dramatic game saw the Vale win 3-2 at Vale Park earlier this season. The Valiants surged into an early lead thanks to goals from loanees Brandon Cover and Rico Richards within the opening 11 minutes. The visitors pulled one back on 61 minutes only for Vale to make it 3-1 through Jayden Stockley just a minute later. Wimbledon then scored again on 78 minutes but Vale held on, thanks to a wonder save from Connor Ripley, to record a 3-2 victory

Fixture history

The two sides first met in 1978 when Wimbledon triumphed 1-0. The return fixture at Vale Park saw the opposite result with midfielder Kenny Beech the scorer of Vale’s first goal against the Dons. The “old” Wimbledon faced Vale ten times between 1978 and 1989. On their successful return as AFC Wimbledon, the sides have played each other six times.

Memorable match

Vale’s best performance against AFC Wimbledon came in the second-half of the 2012-13 promotion season. The Valiants triumphed 3-0 at home with goals from Lee Hughes and Ashley Vincent (2). It was played in front of 5,57 people. It preceded a dip in Vale’s form where they won just once in their next eight games but thankfully they rallied to win promotion at the end of the season.

Brief history

The original Wimbledon football club was formed 1889 and spend decades in non-league football. In the 1980’s they quickly rose to prominence after entering the Football League. They were promoted to the First Division in 1986, just four seasons after being in the Fourth Division. The ‘Crazy Gang’ won the FA Cup in 1989 but trouble was just around the corner. In 1991, the club left their Plough Lane stadium to groundshare and in 2001 the club announced the hugely controversial decision to relocate to Milton Keynes. The club was eventually renamed as MK Dons. The move (and the club) were rejected by the vast majority of supporters who set up a phoenix club, AFC Wimbledon. They progressed through the non-league to rejoin the Football League in 2011. The club returned to a newly built Plough Lane stadium in 2020.

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…

AFC Wimbledon 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. Johnnie Jackson
2. Ronan Curtis, Ethan Chislett and Ben Heneghan
3. 1899 (the original Wimbledon)

The tough one: 350

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