MATCH PREVIEW | Ipswich Town (A)

MATCH PREVIEW | Ipswich Town (A)

For the first time in 23 years, the Valiants prepare to face Ipswich Town under the lights at Portman Road.

Vale head to Suffolk 18th in League One, whilst the hosts are hunting promotion, and sit 2nd in the table.

Before the two face-off in East Anglia on Tuesday night, here is some pre-match reading.

Fixture Flashback:

Sky Bet Championship, Vale Park, Saturday 15th February 1997: Port Vale 2-2 Ipswich Town

We travel back 25 years in today’s fixture flashback, with Vale sitting in 12th place in the Championship table whilst Tuesday night’s hosts, Ipswich, were 8th.

It was the Blues who took the lead just nine minutes into the contest through Paul Mason, an early blow for the Valiants.

Ipswich looked set to enter the break in the lead, however, Vale had other ideas, and they hit back through Lee Mills in the 40th minute.

The Valiants didn’t stop there though, and only three minutes later they went in front when Andy Porter beautifully tucked away a penalty.

After the interval, it was a tight encounter - as we battled to stay in front - but in the 69th minute, the visitors hit back as Mick Stockwell found the back of the net.

The Vale would go on to finish eighth in the Championship that season, a good position for the Valiants.

Reverse Fixture:

Sky Bet League One, Vale Park, Tuesday 25th October 2022: Port Vale 2-3 Ipswich Town

Back in October, Vale fell the wrong side of a 3-2 score line as Ipswich Town came out on top at Vale Park in an enthralling League One contest.

Goals from Gavin Massey and Nathan Smith on either side of half-time had drawn the Valiants level, but Freddie Ladapo’s second goal of an action-packed night did the job for the visitors.

The Tractor Boys got the breakthrough in the 34th minute after a counter-attacking move found the feet of Leif Davis, who put in a low-driven cross for Ladapo to slide home.

Cameron Humphreys added their second just four minutes later through a brilliant low-driven effort after the ball was cleared to him on the edge of the area.

Massey halved the deficit in the sixth minute of first-half stoppage time, slamming home his first goal for the club after David Worrall headed across the box to set him up.

Smith pulled Vale level straight after the interval when the ball fell to him in the aftermath of a corner, and our number six smashed it home from six yards to send Vale Park crazy.

However, Ladapo grabbed his second of the match only four minutes after the equaliser, tapping in a Humphreys pass from the byline after it took a deflection into his path.

Form: WWWDW

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01/04/23: Derby County 0-2 Ipswich Town, Sky Bet League One

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10/04/23: Cheltenham Town 1-1 Ipswich Town, Sky Bet League One

15/04/23: Ipswich Town 6-0 Charlton Athletic, Sky Bet League One