The Valiants return to Vale Park this Saturday as we welcome Bolton Wanderers to ST6.
Jon Brady’s side come into this weekend’s clash with Wanderers off the back of a dramatic 3-2 defeat away at Blackpool on Tuesday Evening. Vale led the game on two occasions in Lancashire, but were pegged back and unfortunately came away with nothing.
Post-Blackpool Thoughts
Here’s what the gaffer had to say about Tuesday’s result:
“Really hard to take (the defeat). We take the lead twice, but we were really sloppy in the second half to concede straight away.”
Our Opponents
The Trotters were once a Premier League side in the early 2000s before their relegation to the Championship in 2012. During this time, they also reached the FA Cup Semi-Final at Wembley Stadium.
Bolton did spend the 2020/2021 season in League Two, but won promotion back to League One at the first time of asking. Since then, they have remained in League One, finishing in the Play-offs on two occasions, but failing to secure promotion in both instances.
Wanderers currently sit in 3rd position in the League, ten points adrift of the automatic promotion places. Bolton started their league campaign in fantastic form, not losing their first game until late September, and now sit on a 13-game unbeaten run with their last defeat coming against Vale in the Vertu Trophy. Steven Schumacher’s side comes into Saturday’s clash off the back of a 0-0 draw with Doncaster Rovers.
The Opposition Dugout
Steven Schumacher is the current manager of Bolton Wanderers following his appointment in January of this year. Steven took the reins from Ian Evatt after the latter was sacked. In the 65 games that Schumacher has taken charge of at Bolton, he has won twenty-nine of those, with a win percentage of 45%.
Before his move to Greater Manchester, Steven had managerial spells at Plymouth Argyle and, more recently, Stoke City.
Player to Watch
A player for Vale fans to watch out for is Mason Burstow. He has been one of Bolton’s standout performers so far this season. Mason is on loan from Championship side Hull City and currently has eleven goals and three assists this season.
The attacker has scored some vital goals already this season for his side, with his most recent goal coming in the 91st minute when Bolton came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 against Wycombe Wanderers.
Fixture Throwback
Port Vale 2-1 Bolton Wanderers, 15th October 1988
The Valiants have found it difficult to get the better of Saturday’s visitors at Vale Park in recent history, with their last victory coming in a Third Division clash in 1988.
David Riley gave John Rudge’s side the lead at Vale Park in front of almost 8,000 spectators with twenty-five minutes on the clock as he converted from Beckford’s low cross.
Vale were pegged back when Bolton equalised when Nicky Brookman rounded the keeper and slotted the ball home.
Ray Walker would have the final say in this encounter, though, as he slid the ball into the net from close range to secure all three points in the closing stages of the game.
This would be a historic season for Rudge’s side as they would go on to secure promotion to Division Two via the Play-Offs.