Vale Midfielder Previews Preston Tie

Port Vale midfielder Chris Lines reckons the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy is a competition the club should be looking to go far in this season.

The Valiants take on Preston North End at Deepdale tomorrow night, kick-off 7.45pm, with a place in the next stage of the tournament at stake.

Lines, who made it to the final of the JPT with Bristol Rovers in 2007, believes Vale can stand toe to toe with the Lilywhites due to the current confidence and feel-good factor in the squad.

Speaking to the press on Monday afternoon, the midfielder said: “You want to win every game and it is a decent competition if you can go far.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to get to the final and play at the Millennium [Stadium] so it is a decent competition if you can get a few wins going and then pick up a run together.

“A lot of the teams that are doing well in the league sort of rest a few players and that gives teams like us a chance to go there and maybe cause an upset.

“So we will go there, we’re confident, the lads are enjoying training and the games and stuff and there’s a whole new belief in the squad now that ‘Pagey’ is in charge.

“We will go there, give it 100 per cent and we’ll see what happens.”

Having played a part in all but one of Vale’s fixtures so far this season, Lines is determined to stay in Rob Page’s starting line-up for the visit to Preston.

The 28-year-old played 90 minutes on Saturday afternoon against Fleetwood Town but believes he will be ready for action in time for tomorrow night’s cup tie.

“I want to play in every game so we’ve just had a little light session today to recover, the lads who played on Saturday because it was a tough game,” he said.

“When you play 50 or 60 minutes with ten men it makes for tired bodies today so it’s all about recovery today and making sure we’re ready for tomorrow night.”