Vale expecting another tough encounter from the Dons

Mark Grew is taking nothing for granted as Vale prepare to take on struggling AFC Wimbledon here at Vale Park this evening (7.45 pm kick off).

Vale will remember well the 2-2 draw played out between the two sides less than a fortnight ago and Grew is more than aware that tonight’s visitors will be desperate to take something from the game.

Ha said: “We know it’s not going to be an easy game. They are in that bottom two and they need to get out of it and they need to get some points on the board as soon as they can, so we are expecting a difficult game.

“In our recent game against them, they were lifted by the presence of the TV cameras. They wanted to show their skills in front of the live cameras.

“Tonight is going to be another difficult game. They have forecast high winds and it won’t be pretty by any means but in this time of the season it is about getting three points on the board.

“Performances and how we play, how many passes we make goes out of the window as long as we come off and win the game.

“If we keep getting three points, nobody is going to catch us. Three points tonight, if we can possibly get them and it puts pressure on other people for them to win their games.

“The funny thing is, everybody has got to play each other, so even if they win, somebody else loses and drops points, so I would rather be in our position than theirs, that’s for sure.

Several players have now returned from injury and are in contention for a place at least on the bench, which will give Micky Adams food for thought as he ponders over team selection.

“I’m not saying it will be the same eleven for tonight’s game,” said Grew “we will have to see how it is but they have kept a clean sheet, scored goals and it might be difficult to change it, but we will have to wait and see.

“Keeping a clean sheet is not just about the back four, it comes from Tom Pope up front and right through the team, but as a goalkeeper and a back four you look how many clean sheets you keep during the season.

“It wasn’t a difficult game for Chris Neal on Saturday and they only had one up front, but the concentration levels were there.

Striker Lee Hughes marked his home debut with a brace on Saturday and Grew is hoping there is more where that came from as his partnership with Tom pope starts to blossom.

“The two goals that Lee Hughes got showed the ability he has. It takes the pressure of Tom Pope now and it isn’t going to be him scoring all of the time, he’s got a partner up there who knows how to find the net.

“Lee is experienced. If you walk into that dressing room it is like he has been here forever. He’s got a big smile on his face, he knows everybody, he’s always chatting and having a laugh and it was so easy for him to fit in with our players.

“He’s not a ‘Big Time Charlie’, he’s just one of the lads who has come in and hopefully going to get four or five more goals for us.”