The Valiants return home this weekend as we welcome Fleetwood Town to Vale Park.
Darren Moore’s side come into the game on an eight-match unbeaten run which continued last week with a win at MK Dons. The only goal of the game came in the 77th minute when Jack Shorrock’s pinpoint cross was turned home by Antwoine Hackford at the near post.
Gaffer's Thoughts
Here’s what Darren Moore said following Saturday’s win that sent us to the top of the league:
“It’s nice to be 11 games in and talking about Vale being top of the league. That’s brilliant for the fans and great for us all at the club. It’s October and we know there is so much work to do but it illustrates the tremendous work we have done over the summer.
“But even though it is pleasing to be top, we know I am not satisfied. The players know that. We know there is so much work ahead of us.”
The Gaffer also spoke about this weekend’s fixture:
“They’re a team bang in form, they’re on a good consistent run of games. They’ve only lost one in nine so that tells you the magnitude of the test that’s coming to Vale Park, that tells you the magnitude of the test that’s coming to us as a group of players, but also for the supporters.”
“We have an in-form team coming on Saturday and it bodes well for a really good game, two teams who are bang in form, two teams operating at the right end of the table and two teams going head-to-head on Saturday and it’s got all the signals for a really, really good game of football.”
The Opposition
Fleetwood Town sit in 11th place with 16 points from nine games. They have lost one game in the league so far this season, this came against AFC Wimbledon who they defeated 1-0 in August. Since then, they have lost once in eight games and come into the game on a seven-game unbeaten run.
In their five away games this season, The Cod Army have scored 13 goals which is the most out of any teams in the league. However, six of these goals came in one game when they beat Walsall 6-2 earlier this month.
Who’s in Charge?
Former Stoke City midfielder Charlie Adam is the current Fleetwood Town manager. Adam joined the club in December 2023 when the Cod Army were in a nine-game winless run. His side improved under his management but were unable to stay clear of relegation and eventually finished 22nd in Sky Bet League One.
This is Charlie Adam’s first senior management role since retiring from football in September 2022 after an illustrious career for club and country. In his 37 games as a manager of the Cod Army, Adam has won 13, drawn 12 and lost 12.
Player to Watch - Ryan Graydon
The Irish forward has enjoyed a productive start to his season with two goals and four assists in his eight games played. Two of these assists came in his side's 6-2 victory at Walsall. After joining from Derry City in the summer of 2023, Graydon played 32 games last season for Fleetwood which included four goals last season.
Graydon’s fellow countryman Ronan Coughlan is Fleetwood Town’s leading scorer. The Irishman has found the net four times this season. Two of these goals came in his side's win against Walsall. Coughlan joined the club in 2023 after moving from Waterford where he scored 37 goals in 34 games in the Irish Premier Division.
Coughlan has started this season with a bang and will be looking to add to his already strong goal tally.
Another player to keep an eye out for is former Valiant, Kian Harratt. The on-loan Huddersfield striker was part of our 2021/22 promotion side. Harratt scored the opening goal in our Play-Off Final triumph when he stooped low to head home Mal Benning’s cross to set us on our way to a comfortable win.
This season, Harratt has scored twice for Fleetwood Town. Both goals came in his side's 3-0 EFL Trophy win against Barrow earlier this month.
Fixture Throwback
Port Vale 3-2 Fleetwood Town, Tuesday 8th August 2023
The sides met last season in the first round of the Carabao Cup and it was the Valiants who progressed into the next round.
Fleetwood took the lead in the 5th minute when Cian Hayes curled an effort into the top corner from just outside the area. Thirteen minutes later, Ethan Chislett scored a carbon copy of Hayes’ goal after he found he top corner with a curled effort from the left side of the box. The sides level at the break, but two minutes into second half Fleetwood regained the lead when Ryan Graydon powered home a header at the near post.
This lead only last ten minutes as Vale levelled through Josh Thomas. The Welshman picked up the ball on halfway before driving into the Fleetwood box and calmly slotting past the onrushing keeper.
The winning goal came in the 72nd minute when Gavin Massey’s close-range cross was headed home by Ethan Chislett who grabbed his second goal of the game and started a memorable Carabao Cup campaign for the Valiants.
