Walsall vs Port Vale - Live on Sky Sports

The Dark Knight

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Well, it certainly seems that this fixture has a lot of people excited...

A midday kick-off on a Sunday afternoon is exactly what football is all about, isn't it? I've got a feeling the rescheduled day and time has removed a lot of fans' desire for this game, as bar the odd exception, we usually take a healthy enough four-figure following and they're always tight and competitive games. I know a lot of people who are making the decision to stay at home (or at best, head to the pub) and save their money. I think the pricing could've been a little better with it now being a televised Sunday game and only five days before Christmas, but it is what it is! Can't imagine fans of either side are up for it.

Vale will again be without captain Carl Dickinson who serves the final game of his three-match suspension for his dismissal at Rochdale at the end of November. I actually think we've missed him, and I never thought I'd say that after how frustrating and brilliant he can be in equal amounts. Ryan McGivern has been excellent at centre half since breaking into the team, so I don't want to disrupt his partnership with Richard Duffy. However, Adam Yates at left back is a disaster waiting to happen. He may have experience playing in that position for us in previous seasons, but I think he's horrific there. Abysmal against Scunthorpe. Byron Moore will more than likely miss this game as he hasn't recovered from injury yet, which would indicate Chris Birchall starting again, which I don't mind as he's justified his place in recent games with two goals in his last four appearances.

Walsall have injury concerns over top goalscorer Tom Bradshaw who has a nasty gash on his ankle, I believe, and may be worse than initially thought, so fingers crossed he sits this one out as that'd be a massive boost to The Saddlers. A 75%-fit Bradshaw is probably a bigger threat than Jordan Cook, who, whilst a grafter and hard-working, he isn't really seen as a prolific striker capable of filling the gap left by Bradshaw's absence.

Vale are unbeaten in their last nine league fixtures against Walsall (W5, D4), which is an extremely impressive record but it's dismal reading for Saddlers fans. Walsall's last league win against Vale came on the opening day of the 2003/2004 season where there were five goals and four dismissals (two for each side). Goals from Matty Fryatt (pen), Leroy Williams and Daryl Taylor cancelled out goals from Billy Paynter and Lee Matthews, with Ian Roper and coach Iffy Onuora sent off, alongside Vale's goalscorer Paynter and manager Martin Foyle. 8,225 there that day (where have they all gone?).

Victory for Walsall would see them get their first win in this fixture in ten attempts, and would see them overtake both Coventry City and Gillingham to reclaim second place. An away win would see Vale move within one point of the Play-Off positions and dependent on the winning margin, could see them end Sunday in ninth place. This would set up a potentially big game at Coventry City on Boxing Day. A draw would see Walsall move up a place into third, and Vale move above Millwall into eleventh place.

Walsall are unbeaten in their last five home games in both league and cup, and have only lost twice at home in the league all season. Whilst Vale possess a poor away record and have only won two of their ten games away from home, yet strangely, haven't conceded more than two goals once this season.

It's always a tight affair when we meet Walsall away. Usually 0-0 or 1-1 with a few narrow wins thrown int the mix. Hoping we can continue having this hoodoo over them and we'll grind out a 1-0 win, but I have absolutely zero confidence of us keeping a clean sheet, especially away to one of the early pacesetters. I'd like to see Uche brought back in for this as his strength and physical presence could be vital for us on such a small and tight pitch. It'd suit him down to the ground. Dodds doesn't deserve to keep his place after three anonymous performances against Rochdale, Exeter and Scunthorpe. I'd put Foley on the left instead of Kelly, put Uche up top and have Ajay in the hole instead of Dodds.

Attendance - I'll hazard a complete guess at 4,349 with 587 travelling fans (we all know why that is..)
 

valefan16

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Oddly after years of Walsall being a bogey side for us we seem to have turned the tables on them.

After winning our first away league game against them in 60 years we've done it twice in a row and tactically got it spot on in both. Despite this we won only one away game in the 14 months between the two and haven't massively improved on that since.

We have won 4 drew 1 lost 1 in our last six league games so no reason to fear the game but has to be better than recently on the road.

1-1 AJ for us
 

Dave-Vale

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We hate Walsall!
 

Jack

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Hoping Bradshaw plays, Cook offers nothing and hopefully Henry is fit

Hoping for 3 points on my birthday :D

I'll go for 2-1 to us
 

Bartonyellow

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Away win please!

If the super saddlers win both of their games in hand they go top.

I can see this been a draw, or a narrow home win.

Is this on tv ?

Surely on a Saturday this would have been. Bigger crowd.
 

valefan16

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12:00 on Sky
 

Saddlerrad

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No Bradshaw in the squad, Cook dropped to the bench and Milan plays upfront with Sawyers off him. Like that idea. He works hard but he's terrible. We won't score without Bradshaw IMO - well we certainly won't offer the same threat as we do with him in the side. The gash on his ankle is quite bad apparently so he could be a big miss over christmas.

We are terrible against Port Vale, especially at home. At least they don't have Pope today for the annual second half 1-0 headed winner. I just have no confidence at all in the side without Bradshaw, so the best we can hope for is defending well and stealing a 1-0 win with a stunner, a set piece or a penalty.

Bet the crowds awful, stupid putting it on at this time. You could have added at least 1,000 or so to the gate if this was played yesterday at 3pm.
 

valefan16

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No Bradshaw in the squad, Cook dropped to the bench and Milan plays upfront with Sawyers off him. Like that idea. He works hard but he's terrible. We won't score without Bradshaw IMO - well we certainly won't offer the same threat as we do with him in the side. The gash on his ankle is quite bad apparently so he could be a big miss over christmas.

We are terrible against Port Vale, especially at home. At least they don't have Pope today for the annual second half 1-0 headed winner. I just have no confidence at all in the side without Bradshaw, so the best we can hope for is defending well and stealing a 1-0 win with a stunner, a set piece or a penalty.

Bet the crowds awful, stupid putting it on at this time. You could have added at least 1,000 or so to the gate if this was played yesterday at 3pm.

Were uber negative away so doubt we will cause you too many problems, i'd have started Uche to bully you a bit in the way the Pope did but we've gone with Dodds.

To be fair after decades of misery against Walsall we owe you some but away from home we've been dreadful. 2 wins against Fleetwood and Barnsley and for some reason we are just so different to the Vale we see at Vale Park week in week out (1 loss in 11 at home), the only bonus being of about 7 league wins away from home since beating you in November 2013 2 of those were at the Banks so maybe we just like it there.

Oh and not to mention we havent won a Sunday game since 2002 against Sjoke!
 

Saddlerrad

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This has been an atrocious first half spectacle wise. No goal threat without Bradshaw in the side. We need a back up forward immediately.
 

valefan16

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Comfortable so far and in the main defended well. Would like a better angle on Duffys ruled out goal. Need to keep pressure on the keeper as he's looking very shakey.
 

markpvfc

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45mins that justified my decision to save my time effort and money and not go to this. Our only hope of scoring appears to be from set pieces, and we never look like scoring from them, that O'Connor effort was pathetic, a 6 month old baby could've kicked it harder.
 

Saddlerrad

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Silly defensive set piece lapse will win this for Vale. We don't have back up to Bradshaw and our other attacking players only score when he's playing. So we look hopeless going forward and we can't keep teams out all the time.
 

JJH

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That first half from was almost a carbon copy of our side under O'Driscoll. Some neat play around the back in parts, but lacking a real threat or a cutting edge, then ultimately we'd get caught dilly dallying with it at the back, or rather concede from a set-piece.
 

JJH

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Calamity of errors in that goal.
 

markpvfc

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Great assist from Grant there.
 

valefan16

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Give away there but offside which is poor from the linesman
 

JJH

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Any particular reason this game is being played behind closed doors?
 

valefan16

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Very soft defeat that. Goals change games and can feel very annoyed at the offside goal considering we had a more marginal call go against us.

Typical of our away form.
 

Saddlerrad

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oh really :pond:

You haven't had the mis-fortune of watching him for 2 years.

Any particular reason this game is being played behind closed doors?

Because it's a midday kick off, hardly anyone has attended, the game was drab and we didn't play very well.

It's no surprise. 99% of all league one grounds are silent.

Anyway - good win. Vale can probably feel a little harshly treated. There goal looked marginally onside and ours marginally off, although the camera angle wasn't in line. Another excellent performance from Romaine Sawyers, just carries and links everything together for the side. The reason we actually won that was because O'Driscoll made a game changing substitution early in the second half, swapped formation and we looked the better and more threatening side from the minute it went 1-0.

We looked much more confident as soon as the goal went in and probably just about deserved the win. Nice to finally see us playing badly and winning, even though we can't keep that up if we really want to do well this season.

No Henry and No Bradshaw - another 3 points and a game in hand.
 

Vale on Trent

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Can't even say we played bad really, don't think Walsall did enough to win the game.

Stupid mistake from Grant for the first goal, which effectively killed us. Would have took a 0-0. The game passed by with not a lot happening.

The disappointing thing is that we are in the most part devoid of ideas going forward, too slow and laborious.

So much apathy from the fans of this club at the minute. It's just boring and we are going no where.
 

valefan16

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Dodds going off was a bit of a blow as we lost that connection between him and AJ. Uche is so frustrating. He's capable of treating defenders like a rag doll and has done at times but others like today he doesn't look bothered.
 

valefan16

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Can't even say we played bad really, don't think Walsall did enough to win the game.

Stupid mistake from Grant for the first goal, which effectively killed us. Would have took a 0-0. The game passed by with not a lot happening.

The disappointing thing is that we are in the most part devoid of ideas going forward, too slow and laborious.

So much apathy from the fans of this club at the minute. It's just boring and we are going no where.

It's typical of our away form though, we were harshly done by a referee at Rochdale but arguably didn't help ourselves. If that first goal doesn't get given we don't lose that.

Do find myself thinking how much more we would offer if our best player wasn't out for the season though especially away from home when we should break out on teams.
 

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Any particular reason this game is being played behind closed doors?
It's always the same, the camera faces the ever empty family stand, behind the goal was ok enough and the main stand is always populated

Heard worse atmospheres (from full prem ground) on the telly heard much better. Just an awful ko time/day and one I was never gonna bother with.

Good win anyway, turned it up second half and chuffed for Cook, just needs to start performing more regularly now.
 

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