Port Vale travel to Gresty Road this afternoon looking to make it back to back wins for Neil Aspin's side against local rivals Crewe Alexandra, after Good Friday's 2-1 win against Chesterfield. You can find all the info for today's clash below...
Fixture: Crewe Alexandra vs Port Vale
Competition: Sky Bet League Two
Date: Monday April 2nd 2018
Kick-off: 15:00
Venue: Gresty Road
Preview:
Following the side's first win of 2018 against fellow strugglers Chesterfield Town on Good Friday at Vale Park, The Valiants will travel away to Gresty Road, looking to topple another struggling side in Crewe Alexanadra.
The last A500 derby was back in November of 2017 as the Valiants sealed their progression in the Checkatrade Trophy at Vale Park. Our last league meeting came in August of this season, but it was Crewe who came out on top in Burslem.
Neil Aspin's side will not feel short of confidence on the road though, as they've managed to pick up points in all of their last three away games at Wycombe, Barnet, and Grimsby Town.
The Railwaymen are without a win in their last two games, with thier last win coming at home to Forest Green on March 20th.
The Opposition:
Crewe currently sit in 17th place, 3 places but only one point above The Valiants. A win for The Railwaymenthis afternoon would all but secure safety for them this season.
Our opponents haven't enjoyed the best form as of late, with two consecutive defeats away from home to Barnet and Newport County in the last 8 days.
Tuesday March 20th was the last time Crewe tasted victory in the league, with Jordan Bowery's double guiding them to a 3-1 victory against Forest Green.
One To Watch: Jordan Bowery
The striker began his playing career at Chesterfield in 2008, and was thrown into the first team aged just 17. He has found himself playing for a few teams across the English league's, including Aston Villa and Bradford City.
He joined The Railwaymen at the start of this season from Leyton Orient, and is the side's second top goalscorer this season, finding the net ten times.
Despite Crewe's lack of form recently, Bowery has found his name on the scoresheet frequently, scoring 4 in his last 5 league appearances.
Team News:
Tom Pope made his return to the side against Chesterfiled on Friday, and showed no signs of re-injury, so we are likely to see him feature again today, as is the case with Anthony Kay.
Michael Tonge was forced off on Friday due to illness, but has recovered and has no issues going into today's clash.
Talk:
Neil Aspin: "Crewe play good football, there as good as any team in the league. We're in for a tough game, we know that, but it's a local derby, there'll be a good crowd, and we've just got to give them something to shout about."
Ben Whitfield: "It should be a great atmosphere. We should take a lot of fans, and of course it's a local derby. We've got a point to prove and we need to get the win."
Coverage:
Follow The Vale will be providing full 90 minute commentary from the match, while the Port Vale Twitter and Facebook feed will be providing live updates for the entirety.
There will also be build-up to the game with the official Snapchat account: officialpvfc.
Reaction will be available on the official website post-match, as well as on YouTube, iFollow and social media.