Vale look to end 66-year hoodoo

Although Vale won on penalties away at Walsall last season in the Johnstone’s paint Trophy, their last league victory away at Walsall was a full 66 years ago.

That doesn’t interest current Vale boss Micky Adams, however. He is only interested in what happens this weekend and he will be sending a side out to win the game.

He said: “What has gone on in the past doesn’t interest me really, it is about now, it is about us responding from a disappointing performance against Preston and bouncing best as best we can.

“They are a decent side, I have watched them a couple of times recently, both at home. They play a brand of football that is very pleasing on the eye.

“They have got some decent players, particularly in forward areas so it is a good test for us, but it is not something that should faze us or daunt us, we have just got to go there and play.

“I watched them beat Shrewsbury 3-0 and I saw them beat Peterborough as well the week after and they demolished them to be fair and I thought Peterborough were a good side.

“They have plenty of movement in the side, a bit of pace up front in Westcarr and Lalkovic who is quite a handful, and they have got the boy in the whole off the front man called Sawyers, who I believe was here after I departed.

“It looked like he has come on a bit and is playing with a great deal of confidence, so in forward areas we have really got to be on our game.

After saying he had perhaps picked the wrong side against Preston in midweek, will the manager be contemplating making changes to the side?

He responded: “Well we’ll have a look at it. It is fair to say I was disappointed with certain people on Tuesday night, probably more than one or two.

“But as far as the game was concerned the other night I thought it fell well for Preston. They had a man sent off, scored that goal and then sat behind the ball, then we didn’t do the right things at the right time.

“It will be different against Walsall, they will come and attack us and want to score goals and that ight leave them a little bit vulnerable.

“But we will look at the side. I think it is only right and proper when you lose a game that you start thinking about people who have not necessarily been in the team recently.”