Port Vale travel to Meadow Lane on Saturday afternoon hoping to get their first win under John Askey, and you can find all of the key information ahead of the crucial clash below as both sides fight for a positive result in Sky Bet League Two...
Fixture: Notts County vs Port Vale
Competition: Sky Bet League Two
Date: Saturday 2nd March 2019
Kick-Off: 3:00pm
Venue: Meadow Lane
Referee: Craig Hicks
Port Vale
Form: WLWLLDLLLL
League Position: 22nd
Top Scorer: Tom Pope (11 goals)
Last weekend's disappointing 1-0 defeat away to Cheltenham Town meant Vale's losing streak stretched to four games under John Askey, but he will be determined to secure his first win as manager when his side make the trip to Nottingham this weekend.
The Valiants currently lie just three points above 23rd-placed Macclesfield Town, but a win could potentially see Askey's men move six points clear of the drop zone if results go their way. When the two sides last met back in November, it ended in a 2-2 stalemate at Vale Park.
Everyone will be hoping that they can go one better away from home, and the manager has a fully fit squad to select from. Manny Oyeleke returned to full training this week following his comeback from injury, and Luke Joyce should also be available in midfield.
Notts County
Form: DLDLLDWWLL
League Position: 24th
Top Scorer: Jon Stead (10 goals)
Despite being favourites to win the Sky Bet League Two title before a ball was kicked, the Magpies sit bottom of the division following a poor opening seven months of the campaign, but they are now within touching distance of Vale who sit just outside the relegation zone.
Harry Kewell lost his job as manager back in November, and Neal Ardley has been in charge since. He did lead his side to two successive victories against Mansfield Town and Forest Green Rovers, but they have fallen to defeat in their last two fixtures.
The only injury worry is Elliott Hewitt, but the versatile midfielder is set to undergo a fitness test to see if he is available. Otherwise, Ardley has a full strength squad to choose from as County look to bridge the gap between themselves and safety.
One to watch: Michael Doyle
After captaining Coventry City to promotion into Sky Bet League One last season, the veteran midfielder struggled to get into Mark Robin's team during the first half of this campaign. The 37-year-old moved to Meadow Lane on deadline day in January, and he has quickly become a favourite amongst supporters.
Known for his leadership qualities and his battling nature, Doyle will be hoping he can help steer Notts County away from danger. Despite his age, he is still fit and he will be a crucial part of the club's plans for the rest of the season.
He has made over 700 appearances during his long career and he has won several promotions, so he will look to use that know-how to have a positive impact on the pitch. More of a defensive midfielder, he will have the job of stifling Vale in the middle of the park this weekend.
Talk
John Askey: "We are going there to win and if we can get that, the gap opens up again and we would sleep in our beds a bit better on Saturday.
"There are still a lot of games to go and the approach won't be any different to any of the other fixtures, but we want to come away with three points.
Kane Hemmings: “The onus is on us to get after them. There’s no use in waiting to see what they are going to do so we need to put the pressure on them early doors.
“It’s all down to us and if we perform how we know we can, we are more than capable of getting a positive result.”
Coverage
iFollow The Vale will be providing full 90 minute commentary from the match, whilst the Port Vale Twitter and Facebook feeds will be providing live updates for the entirety.
There will also be build-up to the game with the official Snapchat and Instagram accounts: officialpvfc.
Reaction will be available on the official website post-match, as well as on YouTube, iFollow and social media.