Port Vale v AFC Wimbledon – can Valiants make it a day of celebrations on and off the pitch?

Port Vale are aiming to make it eleven unbeaten in a row as they take on AFC Wimbledon at Vale Park. Here’s our preview…

The Vale perspective

Other business

It will be a day of celebration away from the pitch with fans able to pay tribute to the great John Rudge after the unveiling of his statue at the stadium. Rudge will be making his way onto the pitch ahead of kick-off and we highly recommend watching Josh Green’s stunning video of the Rudge reign which will be shown on the big screen prior to kick-off. A full itinerary can be seen here

Form

About as good as it gets. Vale made it ten unbeaten on Tuesday evening. If they don’t lose this game it will mean six games unbeaten at the Vale Park stadium. Vale’s defence has been particularly strong with just two goals conceded in their last five games.

Fitness

Conor Grant made his first appearance in a hundred years several months so it may be that Darren Moore is cautious with his participation. The left wingback options are limited due to injuries to Mitch Clark, Sam Hart and Kyle John so if Grant isn’t risked it’s possible that teenager Jack Shorrock will line-up there.

Team selection

It was a sign of Vale’s strength in depth that they were able to drop striker Jayden Stockley to the bench on Tuesday and replacement Ruari Paton scored the winner. Despite Paton’s goal, it’s highly likely that Stockley will return. Vale have multiple choices and players in-form upfront so Stockley’s two forward partners could be anyone from Ethan Chislett, Ronan Curtis, Lorent Tolaj, Ruari Paton, Benicio, Antwoine Hackford and Rico Richards. What a change it is from the limited forward options Vale had last season!

Viewing guide

This game is not available on Sky+ in the UK and fans will not be able to watch it live in the UK. 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 manager in May 2022 following their relegation from League One. His record stands at 47 wins from 127 games in charge of the club.

Form

Wimbledon are playing catch-up after their well-publicised pitch issues caused some games to be postponed. They have lost just three times in the League although it’s noticeable that two of those defeats have come in the side’s last four games. In their last three away League Two fixtures they have drawn one, lost one and won one!

Squad and signings

The summer saw Wimbledon sign winger Myles Hippolyte from Stockport County, veteran John-Joe O’Toole, Solihull Moors midfielder Callum Maycock, Forest Green striker Matty Stevens, Orient forward Joe Pigott, goalkeeper Lewis Ward plus several loan additions – Alistair Smith from Lincoln City, goalkeeper Owen Goodman from Crystal Palace and defender James Furlong from Hull.

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.

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

The two sides last met in a League One fixture back in 2017 when it finished in a 2-0 victory for the Valiants at Vale Park. Defender Nathan Smith, the only current player to appear in that game, scored along with Chris Eagles.

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…

Port Vale v AFC Wimbledon 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.