The Valiants have the chance to make it three games undefeated and secure another three points on the road tomorrow when they travel to the PTS Academy Stadium to take on Northampton Town. With the game just a day away, we look back on two classic matches that the Vale have played against the Cobblers.
League Two, PTS Academy Stadium, Saturday 25th February 2012: Northampton Town 1-2 Port Vale
The Vale were having a decent season with them sat 8th in the table and chasing the play off places as they travelled to Northampton.
It was the Vale who struck first in the game and took the lead in the only the 4th minute, when Doug Loft, playing in the unaccustomed role of right-back, sent over a cross for John McCombe to head home at the far post after a Paul Marshall corner wasn’t cleared properly.
Northampton goalkeeper Matt Duke made some impressive saves to keep the Cobblers in the game, with an effort from Louis Dodds being particularly well saved, but Stuart Tomlinson tipped over a header from Brett Williams over as the hosts looked to pull one back.
The Valiants doubled their lead in the 58th minute though, as Dodds sent Sean Rigg clear to beat the offside trap and he burst into the box to take it around Duke and slot it into the empty net.
Northampton were able to get a goal back of their own nine minutes from full-time when good work from substitute Jake Robinson led to the beastly Adebayo Akinfenwa finding the net, but Vale ran out comfortable winners in the end.
Northampton – Duke, Johnson, Carlisle, Langmead, Adams, Jacobs, Guttridge, Silva (Tozer 61), Harding, Williams (Robinson 73), Akinfenwa
Subs not used – Kitson, Young, Webster
Port Vale – Tomlinson, Loft, McCombe, McDonald, Taylor, Dodds, Griffith, Shuker (Owen 82), Marshall (Morsy 78), Richards, Rigg (Williamson 88)
Subs not used – James, Martin
Att. 5,803
League Two, PTS Academy Stadium, Saturday 30th March 2019: Northampton Town 1-2 Port Vale
The Valiants were battling against relegation and fell behind after only 5 minutes when Jack Bridge sent over a low cross and Sam Hoskins finished from close range.
Bridge then fired just wide and the Vale suffered a further blow in the 42nd minute when Leon Legge was sent off when the referee adjudged him to have been the last man when he brought down Andy Williams.
A minute before the break though, the Vale levelled when David Worrall raced clear from the halfway line to slot the ball past David Cornell.
Ricky Miller sent two efforts wide as the Valiants looked for a winner, but then in the 75th minute, Vale were awarded a penalty when Charlie Goode fouled Cristian Montano.
Enter sub Tom Pope, and who else would you want stood over the spot-kick, he fired home the winner, netting his 100th goal for the club in the process.
Northampton Town – Cornell, Goode, Taylor, Pierre, Buchanan, Hoskins (O’Toole 73), McWilliams (Elsnik 55), Foley, Bridge, Williams (Bowditch 56), Sordell
Subs not used – Facey, J.Powell, D.Powell, Coddington
Port Vale – Brown, Clark, Legge, Smith, Crookes, Oyeleke, Joyce, Conlon (Montano 65), Worrall, Miller (Pope 72), Hannant (Howkins (45)
Subs not used - Kay, Hornby, Vassell, Whitfield
Att. 5,651