The Valiants are back on home soil this weekend as we welcome Reading to Burslem.
Jon Brady’s side comes into this weekend's clash following a narrow defeat on Tuesday evening to Stevenage. Jayden Stockley gave Vale the lead, but two goals in five minutes from the hosts turned the game around and saw Vale come away with a 2-1 defeat.
Post-Stevenage Thoughts
Here’s what Brady had to say on Tuesday evening:
“We can’t defend the first two set pieces like we did, and obviously, we got punished, not good enough.
“We got a foothold in the game by scoring, a bit of a lucky break on that one, but then we conceded from the two set pieces”.
Press Conference Takeaways
The boss gave his thoughts, looking ahead to the Reading fixture:
“Leam Richardson has gone in there and done fantastically since taking over and got them in and around the Play-Offs.
“They’re a team that plays good football, quite fluid. Obviously, we know their threats and we’re going to try and nullify them.”
This week's press conferences with both Jon Brady and Cameron Humphreys can be watched on PVTV here.
About Reading:
Reading is located in the county of Berkshire. The Royals were a Premier League club for a season during the early 2010’s but suffered relegation to the Championship and then were further relegated to League One in 2023.
The visitors didn’t have a great start to the season, losing their first three league games and drawing the next two. Despite their poor start, Reading have turned their fortunes around as the season has progressed, and now sit in eighth position just two points away from Huddersfield in sixth, having played a game less.
The Opposition Dugout
The man in charge of the Southern outfit is fourty-six-year-old, Leam Richardson.
Leam was appointed manager of Reading in October 2025 following the sacking of Noel Hunt. His managerial career began back in 2012 when he was appointed as Accrington Stanley manager, before moving to Wigan Athletic.
Following a two-year spell with the Latics, Richardson had a short stint with Rotherham United and eventually found himself at Reading. Since taking over his current employers, he has led the team to nine wins in nineteen matches.
Player to Watch
A player for Vale fans to be aware of is Reading’s number seven, Jack Marriott.
Marriott has been extremely valuable for his side this season, scoring sixteen goals whilst also contributing with three assists. The forward is also currently in great form, having scored six goals in his last five matches, including a hat-trick against Wycombe.
Fixture Throwback
Port Vale 1-0 Reading, 12th August 2023
Vale and Reading haven’t matched up all that often in recent years, but a clash in 2023 saw the Valiants take all three points.
The visitors were awarded a penalty just over ten minutes into the game. Andy Carroll took the penalty, but was denied by a superb save from Connor Ripley.
The deciding goal of the game came with twenty minutes to play at Vale Park. After a pinball inside the Reading box, Ben Garrity got an effort away on the turn, which looped over the keeper and found the back of the net via the post.
Both sides would go on to create chances with the crossbar being hit at both ends, but Vale held on for all three points.
