Port Vale will be looking to secure Darrell Clarke’s first win since taking over as manager, when we welcome Cambridge United to Vale Park on Saturday.
Fixture: Port Vale vs Cambridge United
Competition: Sky Bet League Two
Date: Saturday 27th February
Kick-Off: 3:00 pm
Venue: Vale Park
Referee: Lee Swabey
Port Vale
Manager: Darrell Clarke
Form: LWLDD
Top Goal Scorer: Devante Rodney (9 goals)
Darrell Clarke will be hoping to secure his first win as manager of Port Vale when we welcome league leaders Cambridge United to Vale Park on Saturday.
Clarke remains unbeaten as Vale manager, after we earned two draws from two games at Leyton Orient and at home against Stevenage.
But the Gaffer will be looking to build on those solid foundations with three points at the weekend, against a side who currently have aspirations of promotion to Sky Bet League One.
The Valiants will also be looking to avenge a 3-1 defeat at Cambridge back in October, and will need no more motivation to try and secure the three points this weekend.
Darrell Clarke will still be without striker Tom Pope as he remains sidelined with injury, whilst David Fitzpatrick is expected to be unavailable for the clash. Other than that, Clarke has no fresh injury concerns ahead of the clash with the U’s.
“We’ve had two very committed performances so far, but they’ve lacked in that quality that’s required to win football matches.”
Darrell Clarke, Port Vale Manager
Cambridge United
Manager: Mark Bonner
Form: LLDWL
Top Goal Scorer: Paul Mullin (22 goals)
Mark Bonner’s side have had a dream season so far, with promotion now a genuine ambition after such a strong first-half of the campaign.
The U’s recent form may have been a bit wobbly, but they still sit on top of the table and a point clear of second placed Forest Green Rovers, though Cambridge have played two games more.
However, Cambridge do come into this game on the back of a 1-0 home defeat to Cheltenham Town in midweek, so there is no reason to suggest the Valiants cannot produce a positive result at the weekend.
One to watch: Paul Mullin
The 26-year-old forward has had a fantastic season so far, having scored 22 goals so far this campaign, making him the league’s top-scorer.
The U’s top-scorer played for both Everton and Liverpool during his youth career, before spells at Huddersfield Town, Morecambe, Swindon Town and Tranmere Rovers led to him joining Cambridge on a six-month loan in the January of 2020.
He impressed during his short loan spell with the club, and he convinced the U’s to buy him outright from Tranmere in July 2020.
Mullin will be hoping that he continues to fire in the goals for the rest of the campaign, which will significantly aid the U’s promotion hopes.
Talk:
Darrell Clarke: “Cambridge is certainly going to be a tough test, but we want to get at them and put in a good performance.”
Mark Bonner: “The two games that he’s had, they’ve certainly been there as well, so I’d expect a really aggressive and hardworking performance from his team.”
Coverage:
iFollow The Vale will be providing full 90-minute coverage of the match for all domestic supporters, whilst the Port Vale Twitter and Facebook feeds will be providing live updates for the entirety.
To purchase an iFollow match pass click here.
There will also be the build-up to the game with the official Snapchat and Instagram accounts: @officialpvfc
Reaction will be available on the website post-match, as well as on YouTube, iFollow and our official social media channels.