Vale will be looking to build on Saturday’s victory against Exeter City as they travel to Lancashire to face Morecambe on Tuesday night.
The Lancashire side have struggled so far this season, and they are currently down in 23rd place in League One on 28 points.
However, after a tough start to 2023, Vale are back to winning ways and currently sit 12th in the table on 40 points from 32 matches.
Before the sides clash in midweek, here is some pre-match interesting pre-match reading.
Fixture Flashback:
Sky Bet League Two, The Mazuma Stadium, Tuesday 17th October 2017: Morecambe 0-3 Port Vale
Six years ago, Vale legend Tom Pope fired in a brilliant brace as Vale put three past Morecambe without reply at the Mazuma Stadium.
A goal in each half from our former number nine, and Cristian Montanao’s stoppage-time strike meant the Valiants travelled back to Burslem with three points in the bag.
The Valiants took the lead against the run of play when Pope outjumped his marker to send a downward header beyond Barry Roche.
Pope bagged his second with 66 minutes on the clock, twisting and turning around four Morecambe players before planting a finish into the back of the net from six yards.
Substitute Cristian Montano sealed the win for Vale in stoppage time when he swept a Pope cross into the bottom corner with a deft touch.
Seven minutes in, Steve Old reacted first to the loose ball to prod a shot toward goal, only to be thwarted by the hands of Kelle Roos.
The goalkeeper was then called into action again at 16 minutes, this time parrying an Adam McGurk volley away.
Following the restart, Morecambe attacked immediately from kick-off as Andrew Fleming fizzed a low strike wide of the target.
It was then the Valiants who surged forward two minutes later, and the woodwork came to the Shrimps’ rescue as Worrall crashed a powerful effort off the post from 25 yards.
Vale would go on to beat the drop in the 2017/18 season, finishing 20th in Sky Bet League Two.
Last Time Out (League):
Sky Bet League One, The Mazuma Stadium, Saturday 18th February 2023: Morecambe 0-3 Peterborough United
Three goals in 17 first-half minutes from Peterborough United ended Morecambe’s nine-match unbeaten home run at the Mazuma Stadium.
Goals from Jack Taylor, Joe Ward, and Kwame Poku ensured the Shrimps were beaten at home for the first time since early October.
The Posh raced into the lead after 13 minutes when Taylor’s effort from distance took a wicked deflection and looped over Connor Ripley in the Morecambe goal.
Nine minutes later, it was 2-0, this time Ward got a slice of luck when his well-struck free-kick slipped through the fingers of the usually reliable Ripley, and into the back of the net.
Peterborough got another slice of luck with their third and final goal when Poku’s strike took a deflection off the unfortunate Jacob Bedeau, before flying past Ripley.
Morecambe responded well to going three goals down, but luck wasn’t on their side again when Liam Shaw saw his effort cannon back off the crossbar before the break.
Moments later, it was Will Norris who denied the Shrimps when he produced a magnificent save from point-blank range to prevent Farren Rawson from pulling a goal back.
At the other end, Ripley prevented the Posh from adding a fourth, minutes before the final whistle, keeping out Nathanael Ogbeta’s powerful effort.
Reverse Fixture:
Sky Bet League One, Vale Park, Monday 26th December 2022: Port Vale 1-0 Morecambe
On Boxing Day, Gavin Massey provided the knockout blow for the Valiants as they took down Morecambe 1-0 at a brisk Vale Park.
Massey’s special goal secured all three points for the Vale as we won our third successive Vale Park league fixture, after over a month away from Burslem.
Vale broke the deadlock in the 41st minute through Massey’s fantastic long-range strike after a sweeping counterattack.
Jack Stevens started the move off which ended up at the feet of our number 19, who then provided a moment of magic when he drilled the ball into the bottom right corner from 25 yards.
The Shrimps had to finish the match with 10 men after their captain Donald Love took out Mipo Odubeko on the break and earnt his second yellow card in stoppage time.
The first real chance of the game fell to Jensen Weir when he broke free from midfield down the right flank before unleashing a powerful effort that hit the side netting.
Ellis Harrison was the first to test the Shrimps’ keeper when he managed to get on the end of a counterattack, but his effort from the edge of the area was saved by Connor Ripley.
Ripley was called upon again five minutes later, and this time he did well to scramble across to his right and tip a Ben Garrity deflected effort around the post.
Morecambe thought they had taken the lead moments before Massey’s goal, but Max Melbourne’s header came back off the post.
Massey nearly provided another moment of brilliance with 25 minutes remaining when he collected the ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a brilliant curling effort that flew just over the bar.
In a half of few chances, the visitors came close to an equaliser late on through Adam Mayor when his shot from just outside the area deflected past the post, but Vale held on.
Form: WLDLL
28/01/23: Morecambe 5-1 Bristol Rovers, Sky Bet League One
04/02/23: Derby County 5-0 Morecambe, Sky Bet League One
11/02/23: Morecambe 1-1 Forest Green Rovers, Sky Bet League One
14/02/23: Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 Morecambe, Sky Bet League One
18/02/23: Morecambe 0-3 Peterborough United, Sky Bet League One