Tomorrow the Valiants will aim to bounce back from Saturday’s defeat at Cheltenham Town, with a positive result when we welcome Oldham Athletic to Vale Park. With the game just one day away, we look back on two classic matches that the Vale have played against the Latics.
League One, Vale Park, Tuesday 20th February 2007: Port Vale 3-0 Oldham Athletic
Oldham's promotion prospects were dealt a blow as they were soundly beaten in a game which saw keeper Les Pogliacomi sent off.
Akpo Sodje teed up Danny Whitaker to drive home his fifth goal of the season after 18 minutes.
Vale skipper George Pilkington buried a superb header from Danny Sonner's 49th-minute cross to make it 2-0.
Pogliacomi saw red for a professional foul on Sodje 13 minutes from time before Leon Constantine coolly slid the resulting penalty home.
Port Vale: Anyon, Weston, Pilkington, Walsh, Talbot, Hulbert (Lowndes 85’), Sonner, Whitaker, Kamara (Gardner 79’), Constantine, Sodje (Husbands 87’).
Subs Not Used: Musselwhite, McGregor.
Oldham: Pogliacomi, Eardley, Stam (Edwards 17’), Haining, Charlton, Taylor, McDonald, Rocastle (Lomax 24’), Liddell (Hall 75’), Warne, Porter.
Subs Not Used: Blayney, Wolfenden.
Att: 4,061.
League One, Vale Park, Saturday 18th December 2004: Port Vale 3-1 Oldham Athletic
Port Vale ended Oldham's fine run with victory at Vale Park.
The hosts dominated the early stages and current first team coach Billy Paynter saw a header cleared off the line before Oldham took the lead with Scott Vernon's close-range shot.
Vale levelled in the 36th minute when Michael Cummins' effort was tipped on to the bar by Les Pogliacomi and Paynter tapped home.
Chris Birchall headed Vale into the lead after Cummins' clever cross in the 62nd minute and the Valiants sealed the win 11 minutes from time with Lee Matthews' penalty after he had been fouled.
Port Vale: Brain, Loran, Pilkington, Dean Smith, Brown (Abbey 46’), Birchall, Cummins, Rowland, Jeff Smith (James 46’), Paynter, Eldershaw (Matthews 73’).
Subs Not Used: Anyon, Hanson.
Oldham: Pogliacomi, Beharall, Haining, Hall, Griffin, Kilkenny, Croft (Johnson 73’), Hughes (Eyre 69), Eyres, Vernon, Betsy, (Johnson 73’) (Bonner 82’).
Subs Not Used: Mildenhall, Lomax.
Att: 4,849.