The Valiants make the short trip down the M6 this weekend to take on Walsall in League Two action, with kick-off scheduled for the earlier time of 12:30pm.
Vale come into the game looking to build on their first win of the season, beating Exeter City 1-0 this past weekend at Vale Park.
George Byers’ second-half penalty proved enough to see off the visitors in a resolute performance, largely dominated by Jon Brady’s side.
Our Opponents
Saturday’s hosts are currently unbeaten in League Two and currently sit in fifth place, with two wins and four draws to their name.
Both of Walsall’s wins came in the opening three weeks of the season with an opening-day 3-0 win on the road against Gillingham and a 3-2 home win against Accrington Stanley in late August.
Lee Grant’s side comes into this weekend’s fixture at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium following a hat-trick of draws against Rochdale (0-0), Exeter City (0-0) and Crewe Alexandra (2-2).
Last Five
Walsall 0-0 Rochdale
Exeter City 0-0 Walsall
Crewe Alexandra 2-2 Walsall
Walsall 3-2 Accrington Stanley
Walsall 0-0 Leyton Orient (Carabao Cup)
Walsall 5-6 Leyton Orient on penalties
Opposition Dugout
Lee Grant is the man in charge of Walsall. The former Huddersfield Town boss took the reins at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium earlier this summer, following the three-year tenure of Mat Sadler.
Following an impressive twenty-year playing career with the likes of Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday, Burnley and Manchester United, Grant became a first-team coach at now Premier League side, Ipswich Town, in May 2022.
Just three years later, the former goalkeeper would take up his first managerial position with League One side, Huddersfield Town. He would go on to manage 36 games with the Tykes, winning fifteen, drawing eight and losing thirteen. With his side sat in sixth place, ten points off the automatic promotion places, Grant would be relieved of his duties in January 2026.
In May of this year, he would sign a three-year deal with the Saddlers, overseeing a busy summer with fifteen new faces coming through the door.
One to Watch
6ft 4in forward, Aaron Pressley, currently leads the Walsall goalscoring ranks with five goals to his name across eight appearances in all competitions.
Pressley, 24, joined the Saddlers from Stevenage for an undisclosed fee in June 2025, putting pen to paper on a three-year deal.
Landmark Appearances
Should they be involved, this weekend’s game could see Kyle Dempsey, George Hall and Ben Waine all celebrating landmark career appearances.
Kyle Dempsey could make an impressive 400th career league appearance, whilst George Hall and Ben Waine could both celebrate their 100th respective career league appearance.
Fixture Throwback
Walsall 0-2 Port Vale | Saturday 20th November 2013
Before this game, the Valiants hadn’t won a league game since 1947, but goals either side of half-time from Tom Pope and Gavin Tomlin put an end to that run.
Adam Yates’ cross from the right was flicked on by Chris Lines, into the path of Pope, who made no mistake and side-footed home to give Micky Adams’ side the lead with just twenty minutes on the clock.
Lines thought he’d had a goal of his own on the stroke of half time, but his effort was ruled out for a foul on Andy Butler.
The points were sealed in the 66th minute when a long throw wasn’t dealt with by the Walsall defence and Gavin Tomlin took full advantage as he found the top corner with an effort on the turn, ten yards from goal.
Team News
Walsall: O’Donnell, Chambers, Downing, Butler ©, Taylor, Mantom, Lalkovic, Sawyers, Baxendale, Westcarr
Subs: Purkiss, Featherstone, Hemmings, Lewis, Benning, Hewitt, Gray
Port Vale: Johnson, Yates, Robertson, Duffy, Dickinson, Myrie-Williams, Griffith, Tomlin, Lines, Birchall, Pope ©
Subs: Boot, Chilvers, Dodds, R. Taylor, Shuker, Williamson, Hughes
