Port Vale will travel to Grimsby Town this weekend in hope of gaining some major points in hope of staying in the Football League for next season.
Competition: Sky Bet League Two
Fixture: Grimsby Town vs Port Vale
Date: Saturday 10th March 2018
Kick-off: 3pm
Venue: Blundell Park
Preview
Port Vale return to first team action this weekend as they head north to face fellow League Two side, Grimsby Town.
The pair sit near the bottom of the league bottom where a point separates the sides in 20th and 22nd.
The Valiants will be looking to bounce back from the 0-0 draw to Newport County two weeks ago, before the postponed fixture at Barnet a week ago.
A draw for either side could see a huge leapfrog up the league table and potentially add to their chances of staying in the Football League.
The Opposition
Grimsby have so far struggled this season, having not won in all competitions since the 9th December where they defeated Forest Green Rovers 1-0.
They sit two places above Vale in the league table are currently on a five-match losing run. Adding to their 15 games without a win.
Michael Jolley will also be in line for his first game as manager after being presented to the media on Monday.
It will also be a familiar day for manager, Neil Aspin, as his first game was against The Mariners in Vale’s 2-1 loss.
One to Watch – Siriki Dembele
The winger has been one of Grimsby’s stand out players this season where The Mariners have struggled.
The Ivory Coast born player has come through the youth system at Grimsby, after coming through the Nike Football Academy. Before there, he gained valuable experience in Scotland with Dundee United and Ayr United as well as a trial with Celtic.
Dembele is only 21-years old and attracted interest from the Premier League before January. He is also related to Yaya and Kolo Toure as well as upcoming star Karamoko Dembele who is his younger brother.
Team News
Vale will be without top goalscorer Tom Pope following his recent operation. Anthony Kay will also be a major doubt after coming back from his injury. Kjell Knops and Adam Yates remain long term absentee’s.
The hosts will be without a number of players for tomorrow’s tie. Mallik Wilks, Simeon Jackson, Karleigh Osborne, Luke Summerfield and Charles Vernam will all be out for Saturday.
But, a return for Ben Davies and Paul Dixon could be on the cards following their injuries.
Talk
Neil Aspin: "It's time now for people to pull their fingers out, and everything will be forgotten if they can produce.
Some of the players might argue that they haven't had a run in the team. They're going to get a run in the team now, and they've got to take the chance."
Michael Jolley: “I know the manager Neil Aspin.
“He is a good person, and has a lot of experience in football – he knows his way around this level of the game.
“When he went in there, he got a good response from his team. They’ve not been on quite such a good run recently, but we know they are going to be very competitive and well organised.
“They will be difficult to beat and we are expecting a very tough game.”
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.