Match Preview: Cheltenham Town

Match Preview: Cheltenham Town

The Vale will look to make it three games undefeated against the Robins this season, as they travel to the Jonny-Rocks stadium to take on Cheltenham Town. You can find all of the key information regarding the game, below.

Fixture: Port Vale vs Cheltenham Town

Competition: Sky Bet League Two

Date: Saturday 7th March 2020

Kick-Off: 3:00 pm

Venue: Jonny-Rocks Stadium

Referee: Scott Duncan

 

Port Vale

Manager: John Askey

Form: WWWDD

Top Goal Scorer: Tom Pope (10 goals)

The Vale will be hoping they keep the best run of form for any side in League Two going and repeat their success from late November at the Jonny-Rocks stadium by again picking up a win on the road against Cheltenham Town.

The Valiants secured a 3-1 comeback win over the Robins thanks to a Tom Pope hat-trick to book their trip to Manchester City in the FA Cup and will be again hoping leave victorious and add to their Play-Off finish push.  

Vale striker Mark Cullen is a doubt for the fixture having picked up a thigh strain, and he is joined by Cristian Montano as a worry for contention due to injury but neither are totally ruled out from the game. John Askey will have options should they miss out though as Mitch Clark returns to action from his suspension and Adam Crookes made his return to the matchday squad last weekend, meaning the two concerns aside, Askey has a fully fit squad to choose from.

“We’re doing ok, the players have done great this season for me and the football club so hopefully we can keep that going until the end of the season now.”

 

John Askey, Port Vale Manager

Cheltenham Town

Manager: Michael Duff

Form: WWWWW

Top Goal Scorer(s): Ryan Broom (8 goals)

The Robins will be looking to secure revenge over the Vale for their FA Cup elimination, and bolster their push for a possible automatic promotion spot, as they currently sit just two points off of third placed Plymouth Argyle.

Cheltenham enter the game with brilliant form, having won their previous five matches, scoring eight goals and conceding just two in the process, leaving them eight points clear in the Play-Off spots.

Michael Duff could be without Luke Varney for the game after he left the field with an injury last weekend. Conor Thomas and Jake Doyle-Hayes could return to action but Scott Flinders remains sidelined by a long-term injury, that worry aside, Duff has a fully fit squad to choose from. 

 

One to watch: Ryan Broom 

Ryan Broom has marked himself as the main man for the Robins this campaign, forming a fierce partnership with striker Luke Varney and acting as a primary goalscorer in the strikers repeated absence with injury.

The young Welsh midfielder began his career at the Bristol Rover academy where he worked his way into the first team set up before going out on three short-term loans, starting with Taunton Town.  

He then spent time with Bath City before joining Eastleigh in 2018, but then went on to be released by Bristol Rovers.  

Broom was signed up by Cheltenham and has found his form, acting as a mainstay throughout last season for the Robins before stepping up as a star man this season, where he has found the net eight times and secured six assists so far.

 

Talk:

John Askey: “They’re [Cheltenham] a strong team, they’re the form team at the moment, but we have gone there and won, we were unlucky not to beat them at home so we’re more than capable of getting a result against them.”

Michael Duff“They [Port Vale] have a real identity and a way that they play, so we know we’re in for a tough game because we’ve played them twice and not beat them.”

 

Coverage:

iFollow The Vale will be providing full 90-minute commentary from the match, whilst the Port Vale Twitter and Facebook feeds will be providing live updates for the entirety.

There will also be the build-up to the game with the official Snapchat and Instagram accounts: officialpvfc

Reaction will be available on the official website post-match, as well as on YouTube, iFollow and social media.