Vale face our final test of 2022 on Thursday evening, and it’s a tough one, as we travel up to Yorkshire to face Sheffield Wednesday.
The Owls’ are currently 11 league matches unbeaten and sit in 3rd position, whilst the Valiants are six positions below them in 9th.
This is the first clash between the sides at Hillsborough in 17 years, so before the two face off this week, here is some pre-match reading.
Fixture Flashback:
Sky Bet League One, Vale Park, Saturday 7th February 2004: Port Vale 3-0 Sheffield Wednesday
18 years ago, at Vale Park, the Valiants dismantled a Sheffield Wednesday side in style to rise into fifth position in the League One table at the time.
Goals from Adrian Littlejohn, Stephen McPhee, and Steve Brooker secured the three points for Vale in front of a crowd of nearly 8,000 in Burslem.
Littlejohn opened the scoring just before the break before McPhee extended Vale’s lead with under 20 minutes left in the match.
The win was sealed in stoppage time when Brooker got his goal, and this win back in 2004 was the last time we have beaten the Owls in a league match, although, we have only met three times since.
Unfortunately, Vale went on to miss out on the playoffs by just one position in the 2003/04 campaign, finishing in a solid 7th position, whilst Wednesday placed down in 16th.
Last Time Out (League):
Sky Bet League One, Highbury Stadium, Monday 26th December 2022: Fleetwood Town 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday
Shaun Rooney turned from hero to villain as Sheffield Wednesday came from behind to beat 10 men Fleetwood Town in Lancashire.
Fleetwood flew into an early lead through Rooney, but after goals from George Byers, and Marvin Johnson had turned it around for the Owls, the Cod Army full-back was sent his marching orders for a second yellow card.
The hosts took only eight minutes to net the opener after some brilliant build-up play found the feet of Rooney, and he fired home a ferocious strike past Cameron Dawson.
Despite the Cod’s strong start, it only took the Owls less than 10 minutes to respond, and it was Byers that provided the equaliser when he diverted Johnson’s shot into the net.
Johnson got on the scoresheet himself with less than 20 minutes to go to turn the game on its head, netting a brilliant effort into the bottom left corner, sending the away fans into raptures.
11 minutes later, Rooney had his moment of madness after he received a second yellow card for a mistimed challenge before clashing with many players and staff on his way off the field.
Wednesday’s victory saw them stay in 3rd position, just four points off Plymouth Argyle at the summit of the division.
Reverse Fixture:
Sky Bet League One, Vale Park, Saturday 1st October 2022: Port Vale 0-1 Sheffield Wednesday
A Will Vaulks thunderbolt from distance condemned the Valiants to a narrow 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday at Vale Park back in October.
It took a wonder strike to win the game, and that’s what Wednesday got through Vaulks who curled an effort into the top right corner from 30 yards out when the ball rolled to him.
Vale Park saw its biggest attendance of the season so far for the visit of the Owls, and those who turned out to see the Valiants saw a battling display from our boys in white, but we couldn’t quite find the equaliser on the day.
Owls’ Team news:
Lee Gregory remains a doubt for the hosts after he went off on Boxing Day, whilst Thursday evening comes too soon for Dominic Iorfa.
The rest of Moore’s squad should be available for the fixture.
Form: WDDDW
26/11/22: Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Mansfield Town, FA Cup second round
03/12/22: Derby County 0-0 Sheffield Wednesday, Sky Bet League One
10/12/22: Exeter City 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday, Sky Bet League One
17/12/22: Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Oxford United, Sky Bet League One
26/12/22: Fleetwood Town 1-2 Sheffield Wednesday, Sky Bet League One