By Dave Johnson
Vale face a rejuvenated Plymouth Argyle side on Saturday afternoon hoping to record a second successive win after getting back on the winning trail last weekend at Rotherham.
Vale will need to improve on their home form if they are to mount a serious challenge on the play-offs, although the four-point gap is certainly not insurmountable.
If they are to set off on a run they must make sure the wheels don't come tumbling off again this weekend, and given Plymouth's recent improvement, that will not be an easy task.
The Pilgrims recent form is in sharp contrast to their early season run, when the club was in turmoil as their very existence was in jeopardy.
A disastrous start saw them pick up just a single point from their opening nine matches, leaving them rooted to the foot of the table. In sharp contrast to that, they have lost just two of their last nine games.
A win against Burton Albion and point at home to early pace setters Crawley Town only last weekend has seen the Pilgrims move from the bottom of the table.
They are now third from bottom and out of the automatic relegation places and with 19 games to play they have every chance of avoiding the drop.
They will come to Vale Park full of confidence and anybody who feels Vale will have an easy ride may well be forced to think again.
Vale's injury situation has hardly changed during the week. Tom Pope, Gareth Owen and Lee Collins are highly unlikely to be in the squad.
Micky Adams will take inspiration from the performance at the Don Valley Stadium, however, and ask the same from his players going into the game this weekend.
A similar performance against Plymouth could yet kick-start Vale's season, and with two tough 'derbies' to follow, we could do with a well-timed confidence booster.
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