The Valiants make the long trip down to Devon this Saturday to take on fellow promoted side Exeter City.
The opposition started their season off with a 1-1 draw away to Lincoln City last Saturday, their first Sky Bet League One match in a decade.
After a win on the opening day for Vale they will be hoping to carry on in similar fashion down south this weekend, we take an in-depth look at who they will have to overcome to do that.
ONE TO WATCH: Jevani Brown
The Grecian’s player of the year last season had a stellar campaign in 2021/22 helping his side to promotion with seven goals and 12 assists.
The Jamaican forward has started this campaign in similar fashion, getting the assist for Sam Nombe’s opening day goal in their 1-1 draw with Lincoln City.
The 27-year-old forward has played for a lot of teams in his time, starting his senior career at fellow Sky Bet League One side Peterborough United before moving around team by team in the lower leagues.
Brown returned to EFL football in 2017 with Cambridge United and never looked back, finally getting his move to Exeter in 2021 after stints with Colchester United and Forest Green Rovers.
The former Rovers man was rewarded with Exeter’s Player of the Season awards after his exploits in the previous campaign.
Vale will be hoping they can stop the Grecians star man this weekend.
THE MAN AT THE HELM: Matt Taylor
Former Exeter player himself, Matt Taylor is Grecian through and through, writing his name in folklore after achieving promotion last season.
The 40-year-old took the job in Devon in 2018, his first in management, and he is adored by the Exeter faithful after four seasons at the helm.
Taylor came close to leading the southern side to promotion a few times before they achieved it, most notably suffering a heavy 4-0 defeat in the League Two 2020 play-off final to Northampton Town.
The former centre-half played for many teams across the country in his playing career but found his true home in Devon with Exeter.
Taylor originally started his career in net but converted to centre-back where he achieved the most success before signing for the Grecians.
Their boss achieved more than 150 appearances for Exeter and helped contribute to their first promotion to the football league.
STADIUM: St James Park
Not as well-known as Newcastle United’s version, Exeter’s St James Park is not to be outdone, built in 1904 the stadium has seen lots of improvements in the last few years.
In the last couple of years, the ground has seen new stands including the ‘Stagecoach Adam Stansfield stand’, named after their former striker who sadly passed away whilst playing for the club in 2010, at the age of just 31.
As the Vale faithful will know after the eventful events in May, the away stand is now covered after redevelopment, called the Marsh Kia St James Road Stand, Valiants will be hoping they can create memorable limbs there on Saturday.
HEAD-TO-HEAD LAST FIVE:
Vale wins: 4
Draws: 1
Exeter wins: 0
Darrell Clarke’s side will be hoping to keep up the good form against the Grecians this weekend, after enjoying lots of wins against the Devon side in recent times.
Can the Valiants recreate the heroics of May down south? We will see on Saturday.