Match Preview | Port Vale vs Burton Albion

3 November 2023

The Valiants kick off our Emirates FA Cup campaign on Saturday as we welcome Burton Albion to Vale Park.

In midweek, Vale progressed into the Quarter Final of the Carabao Cup for the first time in the club’s history. Alfie Devine’s second half strike helped us beat Mansfield Town 1-0 at Field Mill to set up a home Quarter Final tie against Championship side, Middlesbrough.

Crosby’s Comments

Here’s what the gaffer had to say ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup First Round fixture against Burton Albion:

“The way they approached the game here last time, they got themselves in front. There were certain things in that game that we’ll have to do a hell of a lot better than we did in that game. The basics of the game of competing and winning duels, winning first contacts and defending set plays, were going to have to do those things very well. From an attacking point of view, we scored two goals and I think we had something like 20 shots, their keeper played very well. We’re going to have to defend our box really well.”

The Opposition

After going winless in their first seven league games. Burton Albion have since lost one game in their last nine league games. Their upturn in form began when they won 3-2 at Vale Park back in September. Goals from Beryly Lubala, Steve Seddon and Kwadwo Baaah earned the Brewers their first three points of the season.

In their league last outing, Burton drew 0-0 at home to Leyton Orient before losing 2-1 to Carlisle United at Brunton Park. Callum Guy’s 88th-minute winner succumbed Burton to their first loss in 8 league games.

Former Stevenage manager Dino Maamria is currently in the hot seat at the Pirelli Stadium. He joined Burton Albion in 2021 when he was appointed as Assistant Manager to Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank. The pair steered the club away from relegation in the 2021/22 season after they picked up nine victories in their first 12 games. After staying in the league the season before, Jimmy Floyd Hasslebank resigned just a month into the 2022/23 season. Maamria was then placed appointed as manager where he guided the Brewers to 15^th place last season.

One to Watch – Joe Powell

Powell joined the Brewers back in 2020 when he joined from West Ham United where he made one substitute appearance for The Hammers in their EFL Cup win against Macclesfield Town in 2018. Powell really made a name for himself last season when he played 39 league games for Burton, scoring six times from his deep midfield role.

Powell is currently the top scorer for Burton Albion with four goals so far this season. What makes this even more impressive is that all these goals have come from central midfield. Two of these four goals came against Wigan Athletic. His first was a 25-yard strike that arrowed into the bottom corner. Fifteen minutes later he scored his second of the night from the spot to help his side to a 2-1 victory.

Fixture Throwback

Burton Albion 1-2 Port Vale, Saturday 4^th December 2021.

The sides last faced off in the FA Cup back in 2021 and it was an afternoon to remember for the Vale fans who made the short trip to Pirelli Stadium.

The hosts took the lead in the 23^rd minute when Ryan Leak headed home Kane Hemmings’ cross at the back post. Moments later Vale had Dan Jones to thank for keeping them in the game when he somehow diverted Jonny Smith’s effort onto the crossbar from the goal line.

Just before half time David Amoo forced a good save from Ben Garratt when he found space in the box but the Burton keeper saved well at his near post.

With ten minutes of the game to go, Vale broke from a Burton corner with Devante Rodney, his cross-field pass found Lewis Cass who burst into the attacking half before finding David Worrall who teed up Dennis Politic to fire Vale back onto level terms with a deflected effort from outside the area. Three minutes later, the turnaround was complete. Rodney played an exquisite through ball into the path of Politic who rounded the keeper and tucked home into the empty net to give them the lead and earn us a place in Round Three where we would host Premier League side Brentford.

Match Reports

MATCH REPORT | PORT VALE 0-0 BURTON ALBION

4 November 2023

The Valiants earned a First Round replay after a resolute display against Burton Albion with 10 men on a wet afternoon at Vale Park.

It was a flying start from Vale who after just two minutes came inches away from scoring when Ben Garrity rose above the yellow shirts in the box and connected from Tom Sang’s free kick, clipping the crossbar with his aerial attempt.

The same combination threatened the Brewers’ goal on the four-minute mark when Garrity once again met Sang’s delivery and nodded the ball into the path of Ollie Arblaster in the six-yard box, but our midfielder steered his header over.

The visitors were given no opportunity to regroup as the Valiants piled on the pressure, and only one minute passed before they nearly found the breakthrough again. Uche Ikpeazu slipped Arblaster in behind on the right side of the penalty area who then flashed a ball across searching for Garrity, however, the Burton defence managed to scramble it away.

A crucial moment in the match happened in the 17^th minute when Nathan Smith mistimed a tackle on Beryly Lubala on the edge of the Vale box. The referee judged that our captain denied a goal-scoring opportunity and showed him a red card.

Directly from the free kick awarded for Smith’s challenge, the Brewers almost broke the deadlock as Joe Powell struck the woodwork with a curling set piece effort.

Midway through the first half, Vale continued their pursuit of the opening goal and narrowly missed out on scoring when Ikpeazu stripped Max Crocombe of the ball and played in Garrity. Unfortunately, a visiting defender recovered well and crucially turned Garrity’s shot behind.

Chances for the visitors were few and far between, however, they created a golden one in the third minute of stoppage time before the break. Deji Oshilaja beat Connor Ripley to the ball and pulled it across the goal for Mustapha Carayol to finish but Sang cleared brilliantly off the line.

The first opportunity of the second half fell to the visitors six minutes after the restart. In a similar position to his prior free kick, Powell aimed for Ripley’s top-right corner and his hit was matched by our keeper who tipped the ball behind.

Burton enjoyed a fine spell in the opening of the second period, and on 63 minutes Ripley was called into action again after Josh Walker cracked an effort towards his near post, but our number one denied the Brewers striker with a strong hand.

The Valiants defended resolutely to weather the storm and attempted to take the lead in the 65^th minute through Alfie Devine, who burst into the Burton box and drove a low effort just to the left of Mac Crocombe’s goal.

In the 78^th minute the woodwork was smashed a third time when Brewers’ substitute Cole Stockton was played in behind on the left flank with a hint of offside, before cutting in and crashing his right-footed attempt against the post.

With five minutes of normal time left Vale carved out the best chance of the contest. Devine surged through the Brewers' defence before he picked out Ryan Loft with a terrific cross who fired a shot from six-yards-out, however the visiting goalkeeper produced a fine reaction stop to keep the teams all square.

In the final minute of second half additional time, Devine won the ball and threaded through Ethan Chislett who shot straight at Crocombe as the game remained goalless.

Port Vale| Connor Ripley, Lewis Cass, Tom Sang, Nathan Smith©, Ben Garrity, Alfie Devine, Uche Ikpeazu (Ryan Loft 55’), Funso Ojo, Jason Lowe, Ollie Arblaster (Ethan Chislett , James Plant (Gavin Massey 71’)

Unused Subs: Jayson Leutwiler, Ethan Chislett, Jack Shorrock, Rhys Walters, Baylee Dipepa, Andrew Buah, Josh Thomas

Burton Albion| Mac Crocombe, Deji Oshilaja, Ryan Sweeney, Joe Powell, Jasper Moon, Josh Walker, Beryly Lubala (Cole Stockton 60’), Mark Helm (Mason Bennett 69’), Mustapha Carayol (Josh Gordon 77’), Jake Caprice, Tom Hamer

Unused Subs: Jamal Blackman, Rakeem Harper, Ciaran Gilligan, Dylan Scott, Ronny Wakelin, Will Tamen

Standings