Vale’s first home match of 2023 takes place on Monday night, and it will be a tough one as Darren Ferguson brings his Peterborough United side to Vale Park.
Both Vale and the Posh currently sit on 35 points from 24 games in League One so far, with the visitors sitting in 9th, whilst we lie in 11th.
Here is some interesting pre-match reading before the Valiants face the Cambridgeshire side under the lights at Vale Park.
The view from Andy Crosby:
“They battered us away from home, deservedly beat us 3-0, and could – probably should from their perspective – have been more,” said Assistant Manager Andy Crosby.
“They are a really good side with really good individuals within their group and have yo-yoed League One to Championship for a number of years.
“They have just changed the manager for whatever reasons they decided, Darren [Ferguson] goes back in having had success at Peterborough before.
“That makes our planning a little bit more difficult in terms of what they might do, but we have to prepare for the best Peterborough team to come here and try and reignite their season.”
Opposition Boss’ thoughts:
Previewing the clash to Peterborough’s website, new Posh gaffer, Darren Ferguson said: “Port Vale are a very aggressive side; they are a good pressing side and they have been very good at home in front of their own supporters.
“They will feel they have had a good season at this level so far after promotion last term.
“For us, we are focussed on this game, our away form has been poor, we need to find momentum straight away and give the players the confidence they need moving forward and three points on Monday can make a massive difference to that.”
Fixture Flashback:
Sky Bet League One, Vale Park, Saturday 17th January 2015: Port Vale 2-1 Peterborough United
Our last victory against the Posh at Vale Park came nearly 8 years ago to the day, and what a game it was as the Valiants staged a brilliant comeback to secure a 2-1 victory.
Conor Washington netted first for the visitors, but goals from Chris Birchall and Ben Williamson ensured Vale secured all three points at Vale Park.
Despite Vale’s early dominance, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock when the home side failed to deal with a low cross from Marcus Maddison, and Washington got on the end of it to sweep home.
However, Vale struck back only 11 minutes later through Birchall when Louis Dodds headed down Adam Yates’ cross for the attacker to slot home.
Williamson completed the comeback just two minutes after the break, nipping in to intercept a Posh pass before firing home to send Vale Park crazy.
Vale impressed throughout the 90 minutes, going close to a third goal on several occasions, firstly through the second goalscorer, Williamson, when he forced Scott Loach to push his spectacular effort past the upright.
Then a glancing header from Dodds left the Peterborough ‘keeper flat-footed, only for the ball to glide past the far post to safety.
Vale’s failure to add a third goal could have come back to bite them on the backside as the visitors mounted a late assault, pinning Vale deep inside their own half.
A combination of good solid defending along with a pinch of good fortune saw Vale keep hold of their slender lead and record a much-deserved victory against one of the better sides in League One.
The Valiants went on to finish the 2014/15 season in a respectable 18th place, whilst Monday’s visitors placed a comfortable 9th.
Last Time Out (League):
Sky Bet League One, Weston Homes Stadium, Sunday 1st January 2023: Peterborough United 0-3 Wycombe Wanderers
Peterborough fell to defeat in their first match of the new year as Wycombe Wanderers came away from Cambridgeshire with three goals and all three points.
A brace from Lewis Wing and a second-half header from Ryan Tafazolli ensure the side from Buckinghamshire started 2023 in perfect fashion.
With 15 minutes on the clock, Wing spectacularly fired the visitors into the lead with an inch-perfect free-kick into the bottom right-hand corner from 25 yards out.
The Chairboys doubled their lead in the 67th minute through former Peterborough defender, Tafazolli when he was on hand to head home a corner from less than six yards out.
Wing bagged his second of the match and secured all three points for the visitors, with another fabulous finish, curling home a cracking effort off the upright from just inside the area.
Despite the one-sided scoreline, the hosts did have their chances throughout the match, with their best coming through Jack Taylor, who blasted against a post from long range.
Ricky-Jade Jones then found the ball fall straight to his feet; however, he could not turn home the rebound as Wycombe goalscorer, Tafazolli, managed to hook the effort off the line.
Reverse Fixture:
Sky Bet League One, Weston Homes Stadium, Saturday 24th September 2022: Peterborough United 3-0 Port Vale
Back in September, Port Vale’s five-match unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end at the hands of Peterborough United, who ran out 3-0 winners at the Weston Homes Stadium.
League One’s top scorer Jonson Clarke-Harris scored twice for the hosts before Joe Ward scored a late third as the Vale pushed for a way back into the game.
The hosts went ahead through Clarke-Harris as the striker latched on the end of Kwame Poku’s pass after Vale failed to clear the ball.
Ten minutes before half-time, Clarke-Harris doubled the hosts' advantage, with Poku the provider again, this time from the right of the penalty area where he crossed for the striker to slide in his seventh league goal of the campaign.
Peterborough put the result beyond doubt in the 73rd minute when the Vale were dispossessed in midfield and substitute Jack Marriott played in Ward, who broke into the area and finished beyond Stevens.
The Vale started the brighter of the two sides at the Weston Homes Stadium, with some early final third entries and crosses into the box testing the hosts’ resolve.
We almost went ahead in spectacular fashion as Ellis Harrison aimed to beat Lucas Bergström from the halfway line, though the striker’s effort bounced wide of the vacant Posh goal.
The Vale lost Funso Ojo with just over 20 minutes played as the Belgian midfielder sustained an injury and was replaced by Tom Conlon.
Moments after the Posh went ahead, Josh Knight was denied an acrobatic second at the back post by an excellent Dan Jones block.
Jack Stevens denied Clarke-Harris a first-half hat-trick in the final few seconds of the first 45 minutes as the striker met a floated cross to the back post and powerfully headed downwards only to be denied by a smart low save from Vale’s keeper.
Vale were forced to defend their penalty area on a couple of occasions early in the second half and Clarke-Harris went close to scoring a third with an audacious effort from the left that crashed back off the post.
At the other end, the Vale tested Bergström on the break as Harrison broke through the hosts' defence before Gavin Massey set the ball into Danny Butterworth, who curled an effort at goal that the keeper comfortably saved.
Vale continued to search for a way back into the game and Jones was the next to be denied as his header from a Worrall corner looked goal-bound, only to be cleared by the Posh backline.
Smith almost scored a late consolation for the Vale, though his header from Worrall’s deflected cross was wide of Bergström’s left-hand post.
In five minutes of additional time at the end of the 90, Harrison glanced a header wide from a Cass cross, though the Welsh striker couldn’t grab the goal another battling performance deserved.
Team news:
New Peterborough loanee goalkeeper, Will Norris, is expected to make his debut between the sticks at Vale Park as Lucas Bergström has been away on international duty for Finland
Oliver Norburn is unlikely to feature for the visitors as he continues to recover from a serious injury.
The visitors also have two injuries in the defensive part of the pitch that have not been confirmed.
Form: LLDWL
02/12/22: Peterborough United 1-2 Barnsley, Sky Bet League One
10/12/22: Ipswich Town 2-1 Peterborough United, Sky Bet League One
26/12/22: Charlton Athletic 1-1 Peterborough United, Sky Bet League One
29/12/22: Peterborough United 2-0 Milton Keynes Dons, Sky Bet League One
01/01/23: Peterborough United 0-3 Wycombe Wanderers, Sky Bet League One