Port Vale welcome Grimsby Town to Vale Park on Saturday, in our first home Sky Bet League Two clash of 2021. With the game just two days away, we look back on two classic encounters played out against the Mariners.
League Two, Vale Park, Saturday 5th September 2009: Port Vale 4-0 Grimsby Town
In-form Port Vale were too strong for struggling Grimsby as they comfortably disposed of the Mariners 4-0 at Vale Park.
Grimsby saw their day made worse when Danny Boshell was sent off five minutes from time.
The midfielder was shown a straight red card for a professional foul on Lewis Haldane and Vale could even afford the luxury of seeing Marc Richards' resulting penalty saved by Josh Lillis.
In the first-half, Louis Dodds gave Vale a 43rd minute lead with a left-footed volley from six yards and Vale's victory was as good as sealed when Richards challenged debutant Josh Lillis and Tommy Fraser's free-kick sailed over both of them and into the net in the 68th minute.
Lillis atoned with his spot-kick save from Richards, but was helpless when Gareth Owen headed powerfully home from Fraser's 87th-minute corner and Lee Collins completed the rout in stoppage time after Grimsby failed to clear Fraser's right-wing free-kick.
Port Vale – Martin, Yates, McCombe, Owen, Collins, Taylor (Haldane 77), Loft (Richman 90), Fraser, McCrory, Dodds (Griffith 80), Richards.
Subs not used – Lloyd-Weston, Stockley, Horsfield.
Grimsby Town – Lillis, Stockdale, Widdowson, Bennett, Heywood, Linwood, Sweeney, Boshell, Leary (Fuller 63), Jones, North.
Subs not used – Overton, Clarke, Bird, Normington, Wood Dixon.
Att. 5,056
League Two, Vale Park, Saturday 6th December 2008: Port Vale 2-1 Grimsby Town
Substitute Simon Richman pounced two minutes from time as Port Vale heaped misery on Grimsby with a 2-1 victory.
The teenager fired past Phil Barnes after Louis Dodds flicked on Steve Thompson's cross, just three minutes after the visitors had equalised.
Grimsby thought they had snatched what would have been a point when Adam Proudlock headed in Jamie Clarke's cross from point-blank range.
The visitors dominated much of the first half and created several chances, including Nathan Jarman's 18th-minute shot which Joe Anyon tipped against the crossbar.
But it was Vale who converted the one that mattered in the 28th minute with skipper Marc Richards cracking in his ninth of the campaign.
Richards controlled a deflected shot from Neil MacKenzie and hammered a left-footed effort high inside Barnes' right-hand post from 10 yards.
Port Vale - Anyon, Stockley, Collins, Owen, McCrory, Brown, MacKenzie (Richman 83), Davidson, Richards, Dodds, Glover (Thompson 74).
Subs Not Used: Martin, Prosser, Lawrie.
Grimsby Town - Barnes, Stockdale, Bennett, Hope, Atkinson, Clarke, Kalala, Trotter, Boshell, Jarman (Bore 79), Proudlock.
Subs Not Used: Heywood, Llewellyn, Montgomery, Hegarty.
Att: 5,058