The Vale are back in action on Friday in the first of our two fixtures over the Easter weekend.

Vale kick off the bank holiday with a home fixture against Bristol Rovers on Friday before making the trip to Northampton Town on Easter Monday.

The Valiants come into the game off the back of a 1-0 win against Burton Albion last weekend. Ryan Loft’s second half goal earned his side all three points in a game that was largely dominated by the Vale.

Gaffer's Thoughts

Here’s what Darren Moore had to say following Saturday’s victory:

“I am delighted with the three points. It’s been a long time coming. We have felt we have been close, but we needed it today.”

“It is three valuable points and there were some big performances out there. I thought the team was good, there was a good understanding out there. Their overall game, in and out of possession, was good and they were driven on by an excellent away support.”

The Opposition

Bristol Rovers currently sit in 14th place in Sky Bet League One with 50 points from their 38 games played.

The Gas come into the game off the back of a three-game winless and goalless run where they have lost twice and drawn once.

Most recently they were beaten 5-0 by Lincoln City at the LNER Stadium. Joe Taylor scored a hat-trick for the Imps with Paudie O’Connor and Reece Hackett also finding the net.

Who’s In Charge - Matt Taylor

The former Exeter City manager made the move to the Memorial Stadium in November 2023 following the departure of Joey Barton.

Since his arrival, he has been in the dugout for 24 games and they have won nine, drawn three and lost 12.

Taylor’s managerial career began when he took over the reins at Exeter City in 2018. In his tenure, he won three manager of the month accolades and also guided his side to promotion in the 2021/22 season when they finished second in League Two. In October 2022, he was granted permission to speak to Rotherham United about their vacant managerial role which he took up on the 3rd October.

However, after just over a year in charge, he was relieved of his position after picking up just 10 wins in his 55 games in charge at the football club and has since made the move back to League One to take charge of Bristol Rovers.

Player to Watch - Chris Martin

The veteran EFL striker has scored 15 goals for Bristol Rovers this season after joining the club September 2023.

The former Scotland international has an excellent record in the EFL, mainly in the Championship where he has scored goals for clubs like Derby County, Bristol City and Norwich City. In his 644 professional games played, he has scored 166 goals for eleven different clubs and the Scotland national team.

Another player to keep an eye out for is attacking midfielder, Anthony Evans. The Everton academy product has got 18 goal involvements so far this season. This includes ten goals and eight assists in his 44 games played in all competitions this season.

Fixture Throwback

Port Vale 2-0 Bristol Rovers, Saturday 22nd April 2023

When the sides met last season it was the Valiants who ran out winners after scoring two goals in the ten minutes, helping us to an important 2-0 win.

Ellis Harrison gave the Vale the lead in the 22nd minute when he acrobatically volleyed into the back of the net from close range following Will Forrester’s cutback.

Tom Pett then doubled our lead in the 29th minute when he latched onto a loose ball in the box to thunder home from close range to help his side on their way to what was a crucial three points.