Next Up: Port Vale vs Exeter City

City’s strong finish to the season continued with a late fightback to earn a 2-2 draw at Leyton Orient on Tuesday night – reward for a magnificent second half display. Gary Caldwell continued with his late season policy of mainly selecting players who will be in the red and white next season, although with Jack Aitchison and Vincent Harper departing with injuries Caldwell may need to restore a couple of players to the squad for Saturday. 16 year old Jake Richards was a beneficiary both of the policy of selecting for the future and continuing City’s long run of an academy product in the starting eleven as he was given the first 45 minutes on Tuesday and either he or Cheick Diabate will expect to start at Port Vale. Elsewhere Zak Jules returned to the side after his three match suspension and will compete with Ben Purrington for the start on Saturday.

While City are now mathematically safe from relegation, Port Vale’s 3-0 defeat at Peterborough on Wednesday night plunged the Valiants back into the relegation zone on goal difference. Their season followed a similar pattern to that of City, making a blistering start (aside from an opening day 7-0 defeat at Barnsley) then dropping off (all the while going even further than City in the EFL Cup to reach the quarter finals), but while City have recovered well since Christmas, Port Vale continued to struggle, failing to win any of their first 14 games of 2024. Successive wins over Burton and Bristol Rovers lifted Darren Moore’s side out of the bottom four but a failure to score in their last three matches has seen them drop back again. Like with City, a lack of goals is a problem, especially if neither Ben Garrity (12 goals in all competitions) and Ethan Chislett (nine) find the net. James Wilson, once of Manchester United, has just four strikes to his name.

City’s nadir was possibly the dismal 1-0 defeat in the reverse fixture in December, the visitors’ goal coming in the first half through Oliver Arblaster before Will Aimson saw red in second half injury time. The following match was the inspired 1-1 draw at Stevenage which seemed to galvanise the squad. City visited Vale Park twice last season, Vale getting revenge for the FA Cup defeat in recording another 1-0 win – again City were shown a red card (Rekeem Harper) then Vale took immediate advantage, scoring in the next minute through Will Forrester. Port Vale have a healthy lead in league head to heads, winning 26 times to City’s 19, 12 matches finishing level.

The match officials for this game will be:-

Referee: Marc Edwards
Assistant Referees: Lisa Rashid and Alex Gray
Fourth Official : Danny Jarvis

Marc Edwards took charge of our game away to Peterborough in February which City lost 2-1.

Pre-match interview with Gary Caldwell

Pre-match interview with Zak Jules