Vale are away once again this Saturday as they travel down to Cambridgeshire to face Peterborough United in Sky Bet League One.
The Posh returned to the third division after relegation from the Championship last season, and they currently sit 10th in the league on 12 points after nine games.
Our hosts this weekend come into this fixture off the back of four league defeats on the bounce, but they did manage victory at home to Tottenham Hotspur’s U21 side in the Papa Johns Trophy on Tuesday.
However, Vale come into this match in a rich vein of form, having beaten Shrewsbury Town twice in four days and extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to five.
Saturday’s match will be the first time these two have faced off since February 2017, so here is what you need to know about the Posh before the two sides lock horns at the weekend.
ONE TO WATCH: Jonson Clarke-Harris
Once again, it is an opposition’s skipper who will be one to keep an eye on at the weekend, with the Posh’s skipper Jonson Clarke-Harris being their man threat.
Peterborough’s number nine has enjoyed a solid start to the season, with his five goals so far this campaign putting him top of the scoring charts for the Posh.
Clarke-Harris is currently enduring his second spell at Peterborough having not played a first-team appearance for the Posh in his first spell.
The 28-year-old started his senior career at Coventry City in 2010, and he made his mark at the club becoming their youngest ever player at 16 years and 21 days old when he made his debut in a League Cup loss to Morecambe.
Unfortunately, his career in the midlands never took off, and after spells with the Posh, and a couple of loans during a three-year period, Clarke-Harris made the move to Oldham Athletic in 2013.
The forward enjoyed a good season in Greater Manchester and impressed on many occasions scoring eight goals, which earnt him a move to Yorkshire to sign for Rotherham United.
He spent four seasons in South Yorkshire before spells at MK Dons, Doncaster Rovers, and Coventry City before a season and a half at Bristol Rovers in 2019/20.
Clarke-Harris’ career really took off at Rovers, with the striker netting 27 goals during 18 months at the club, leading to interest from many clubs.
One of those clubs was the Posh, who swooped in to snatch their man in the summer of 2020, and what a move it has turned out to be for Peterborough’s skipper.
Clarke-Harris hit the ground running in his first season back at the club, securing the golden boot in League One with 31 goals as the Cambridgeshire side secured promotion to the Championship.
Alongside the golden boot, the forward also bagged the Sky Bet League One Player of the Year award, and the club's Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year awards.
The number nine enjoyed a decent season in the second tier despite the team’s relegation and will now be hoping to lead his side back to the Championship this season.
THE MAN AT THE HELM: Grant McCann
Youthful manager, Grant McCann, will be the man in the dugout for the hosts on Saturday, after returning to the club as manager in February 2022.
McCann has a big history with the club having played for the Posh as a player, and had also taken the lead of the club for two seasons as manager six years ago.
The 42-year-old started his career in professional football on the playing side of the game, starting his career at West Ham United.
Many loan moves followed for the Northern Irishmen, including at the likes of Livingston, Notts County, and Cheltenham Town.
The then midfielder impressed in his two loan spells in Gloucestershire and secured a permanent move to the southwest in 2003.
Four years and over 200 appearances then followed for McCann at Cheltenham before he swapped Gloucestershire for South Yorkshire with a move to Barnsley.
After his time at the Reds, a two-year spell at Scunthorpe United followed before his move to the Posh in 2010.
McCann spent five years as a player in Cambridgeshire, accruing just under 200 appearances at the club before he took up a coaching role at the club in 2015.
After a short caretaker period, the 42-year-old was appointed on a permanent basis at the Posh.
McCann cut his teeth in management at Peterborough between 2016-2018 before leading Doncaster Rovers into the League One play-offs and then masterminding a league title for Hull, their first in 55 years.
The Northern Irishmen decided to leave his post at the Tigers earlier this year despite his success at the club and re-joined the Posh.
However, he could not save the club from falling back down into the third tier of English football and is now tasked with the challenge of bringing Peterborough straight back up.
STADIUM: Weston Homes Stadium (London Road)
The Weston Homes Stadium, also fondly known as London Road Stadium, has hosted football for well over a century, and now has a capacity of 15,314 fans, with seating for more than 10,000.
Weston Homes started some sponsoring on the ground in May 2018, and they signed a five-year deal to sponsor the London Road Terrace.
Just over a year later in June 2019, what was known as the ABAX Stadium became The Weston Homes Stadium in a ten-year deal, meaning London Road had a new name.
The away end is located in the Main Stand and has a capacity of just under 2,000 fans, and we look forward to seeing many of you Valiants filling it.
HEAD-TO-HEAD LAST FIVE:
Vale wins: 2
Draws: 2
Peterborough wins: 1
Vale has the better of the recent record between the two sides, with many of the games being close affairs.
The Valiants also have enjoyed some good results down in Cambridgeshire in recent times, with their last win against the Posh coming there in 2016, an exciting 3-2 victory.
Darrell Clarke’s side will be hoping they can continue their good record at London Road this Saturday, and they will also be looking to continue their unbeaten run.