We welcome The Iron to Burslem on Saturday. Let’s take a look back at some previous clashes at Vale Park
Past five games against Scunthorpe: DWLLW
Sky Bet League Two, Vale Park, Tuesday 17th November 2020, Port Vale 0-1 Scunthorpe United
In a fairly even opening period, neither side created any clear-cut chances, with both teams playing their way into the fixture.
Leon Legge provided the game’s first half-chance when Manny Oyeleke’s ball into the box was met by the head of the skipper from six yards out, but he couldn’t get enough power on the effort to seriously test Mark Howard in the Scunthorpe goal.
But it was Scunthorpe who broke the deadlock in the 27th minute of the game, when Abo Eisa cut inside from 25-yards before unleashing a dipping effort into the far corner, leaving Scott Brown with no chance and Vale with work to do.
Vale dominated the majority of possession for the remainder of the half, but rarely troubled the Scunthorpe goal, and were left trailing by a goal at the break.
The Valiants came out at the break with intent, with Tom Conlon’s long-range effort flying just over the bar within 60 seconds of the restart.
And Conlon had another effort from a similar range just three minutes later, this time his effort sailed wide of Howard’s post.
The Valiants had a scare in the 57th minute, when the Iron almost doubled their lead, when Ryan Loft sprinted down the right-wing, driving into the box before his drilled effort hit the inside of the post before Brown was able to gather the ball.
Vale had a golden chance to equalise in the 66th minute when substitute Devante Rodney played a brilliant through ball to another substitute in Cristian Montano, but Mark Cullen’s effort from Montano’s low ball into the box was skewed wide.
On the 70-minute mark, Vale had several good opportunities, when David Worrall’s effort from inside the box was headed clear by a Scunthorpe defender before Conlon’s free-kick from the edge of the box was deflected over the bar and away from danger.
In the last minute of normal time, the Valiants felt that they had a shout for a penalty when Harry McKirdy’s effort inside the box seemed to hit the arm of a Scunthorpe defender, but Leigh Doughty waved away the Vale protests.
After two minutes into the four minutes of added time, Vale thought they had grabbed an equaliser when McKirdy’s scrambled effort crossed the line, but the referee adjudged there to be a foul in the build-up and disallowed the goal, meaning that Scunthorpe took the points.
Port Vale: Brown, Clark, Smith, Legge, Crookes (Montano 51’), Oyeleke, Conlon, Burgess (McKirdy 63’), Amoo (Rodney 65’), Worrall, Cullen.
Unused subs: Visser, Brisley, Pope.
Scunthorpe United: Howard, Rowe, McGahey, Onariase, Brown, Gilliead, Beestin, Spence, Eisa (Bedeau 85’), Loft (Green 74’), Van Veen (McAtee 54’).
Unused subs: Watson, Hippolyte, Hallam, Dunnwald-Turan.
Sky Bet League One, Vale Park, Saturday 27th August 2016, Port Vale 3-1 Scunthorpe United
Vale maintained their 100% home record as well as recording Scunthorpe’s first defeat of the season in this early season clash at Vale Park.
It had been 30 years since Vale had beaten Scunthorpe outright either home or away, but it was the Valiants who came up trumps in this August meeting at Vale Park in 2016, following an Alex Jones brace on his first Vale start.
Following a positive start to the game, it was the Valiants who deservedly took the lead when Kjell Knops played in Anton Forrester, who was able to place the ball past Scunthorpe goalkeeper Luke Daniels after 33 minutes.
But just as the referee was due to blow his half-time whistle, the Iron equalised as Josh Morris’ free-kick evaded all Vale bodies in the box, and was adjudged to have crossed the line by the linesman after a tight call.
However, the set-back of conceding on half-time didn’t deter the Valiants, who started the second-half strongly and were rewarded when Alex Jones volleyed in Jerome Thomas’ cross to put the Valiants 2-1 up on 49 minutes.
Things got worse for Scunthorpe five minutes later, when Jordan Clarke was sent-off following his second booking after the game, whilst manager Graham Alexander was also sent to the stands for protesting.
Alex Jones secured the points with six minutes of the game remaining, adding a second goal to his tally and a third for Vale, by placing the ball into the back of the net following Sam Foley’s through ball.
Port Vale – Alnwick, Purkiss, Streete, Smith, Knops, Tavares (Amoros 16), Foley, Grant, Thomas (Hart 83), Forrester (Paterson 71), Jones.
Subs not used – Mac-Intosch, Pereira, Cicilia, Boot.
Scunthorpe – Daniels, Wallace, Mirfin, Townsend, Clarke, Dawson (Mantom 65), Morris, Bishop, Holmes (Wiseman 62), Van Veen, Hopper (Madden 71).
Subs not used – Goode, Adelakun, Wootton, Anyon.
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