The Valiants have the chance to make it back to back wins in the league and secure their first away win of the season as they travel to St James Park to take on Exeter City. With the game just two days away, we look back on two classic matches that the Vale have played against the Grecians.
League Two, St James Park, Saturday 6th October 2012: Exeter City 0-2 Port Vale
Vale went into the fixture in fine form, having won their previous four away games and were sat in second place in the league.
It took just five minutes for the Vale to break the deadlock, with the in-form Tom Pope continuing his goal scoring form to give the Valiants the lead as he bagged his 10th goal of the season when he nodded home a Jennison Myrie-Williams cross.
The goal was a pivotal and memorable moment for Pope and the club, as it made him the fastest Vale player to ten goals in a season since Tom Nolan in 1933.
Doug Loft limped off six minutes into the second-half before Steve Tully almost equalised for Exeter when he headed against the crossbar.
Vale extended their lead in the 62nd minute however when an Ashley Vincent cross was headed in by Pope to take his tally for the season to 11 with his match-winning brace, with the Vale going on to gain promotion that season.
Exeter – Evans, Tully (Sercombe 74), Woodman, Baldwin, Coles, Amankwaah, Oakley, Davies, Doherty (Keohane 68), Cureton, O’Flynn (Bauza 68)
Subs not used – Krysiak, Moore-Taylor, Dawson, Nicholls
Port Vale – Neal. Duffy, McDonald, McCombe. Taylor, Myrie-Williams (Lloyd 89), Loft (Burge 51), Morsy, Vincent (Shuker 85), Dodds, Pope
Sins not used - Johnson, Yates, Davis, Williamson
League Two, St James Park, Saturday 21st October 2017: Exeter City 0-1 Port Vale
Vale were enduring a difficult start to season and found themselves sat down in 22nd place in the league, whereas the Grecians were in the promotion race as they were in third place.
The Valiants were under new management however, with Neil Aspin now at the helm, and had won their previous two games under their new boss.
Tom Pope was once again the man of the hour as he gave the Vale the lead with 25 minutes played as he headed in his seventh goal in as many games from a David Worrall cross.
Storm Brian was raging across England and made conditions difficult, but Exeter did get the ball in the net early in the second period through Reuben Reid only for it to be disallowed.
Vale had the opportunity to double their lead, first as Worrall missed his kick and then when Tyrone Barnett skied an effort over the bar.
Vale ran out comfortable winners however and went on to avoid relegation by finishing in 20th place.
Exeter – Pym, Sweeney, Moore-Taylor, Moxey (Sparkes 89), Brown, James, Taylor, Boateng, Stockley, Edwards (McAlinden 72), Reid (Jay 88)
Subs not used – Hamon, Archibald-Henville, Wilson, Byrne
Port Vale – Roos, Gibbons, Anderson, Smith, Gunning, Worrall, Harness (Barnett 73), Kay, Pugh, Whitfield (Montano 57), Pope
Subs not used – Boot, Davis, Reeves, Stobbs, Turner