Preview: Doncaster Rovers vs. Port Vale - prediction, team news, lineups

5 days ago 11

Sports Mole previews Saturday's League Two clash betwixt Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale, including predictions, squad quality and imaginable lineups.

In the heavy of a heated promotional battle, Doncaster Rovers volition invited Port Vale to Eco-Power Stadium successful South Yorkshire connected Saturday.

Doncaster began 2025 with a melodramatic 2-1 triumph versus Fleetwood Town, moving up to 2nd successful League Two arsenic a result, 2 points supra the Vailants, who beryllium 5th pursuing a 0-0 gully astatine location to Cheltenham Town.

Match preview

Doncaster Rovers striker Billy Sharp pictured connected September 12, 2024 © Imago

They near it precocious connected New Year's Day, but ultimately, Rovers got the occupation done, extending their unbeaten tally astatine location to 5 matches successful this competition.

Three times successful League Two this season, Grant McCann has seen his broadside people a victor with less than 10 minutes remaining, and those six bonus points are presently the quality betwixt 2nd spot and 10th.

Saturdays astatine Eco-Power Stadium thin to bring bully things to this club, who person suffered conscionable 1 decision successful their erstwhile 15 league fixtures astatine location connected that time of the week, failing to people successful conscionable 1 of those instances.

While they are positioned to assertion 1 of 3 automatic promotional places close now, 1 decision could alteration everything arsenic a specified 3 points presently abstracted them from Grimsby Town, who are eighth and connected the extracurricular of the playoff picture.

This squad person won their opening league crippled of a calendar twelvemonth connected back-to-back occasions but person ne'er claimed much than 1 home triumph successful January since returning to League Two successful 2022-23.

Rovers person not won consecutive league contests successful January since their 2020-21 League One campaign, erstwhile they won each 4 of their matches played that month.

Port Vale Connor Hall celebrates connected November 16, 2024 © Imago

It whitethorn beryllium a caller year, but we witnessed the aforesaid aged struggles for Port Vale successful beforehand of extremity Wednesday, arsenic we saw astatine the extremity of 2024.

In 5 of their erstwhile six League Two affairs, Darren Moore's men person failed to find the backmost of the net, portion they are present winless successful 8 successive matches successful this competition.

January has not been bully to this squad successful caller memory, arsenic the nine from Burslem are winless successful 7 consecutive league contests played this month.

That said, they are good up of their gait from a play ago, claiming 38 points aft 24 encounters successful this campaign, a twelve much than they had astatine this signifier successful 2023-24.

Port Vale person mislaid 3 of their erstwhile 4 distant league games against Yorkshire-based sides, conceding 11 goals crossed that time.

However, the Valiants look to bask coming to Doncaster, winning their past 2 shot league distant contests against them, and they person an accidental to assertion 3 consecutive distant triumphs determination connected Saturday for the archetypal clip since 1980.

Doncaster Rovers League Two form:

Doncaster Rovers signifier (all competitions):

Port Vale League Two form:

Port Vale signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Doncaster Rovers manager Grant McCann pictured connected November 11. 2024 © Imago

Earlier this week, the Rovers were missing Jordan Gibson owed to a reddish paper suspension, with Kyle Hurst taking his spot connected the near wing, which was the lone alteration to their starting 11.

Owen Bailey opened the scoring for Doncaster against Fleetwood successful the second stages of the opening half, and Billy Sharp netted the victor successful the 92nd minute.

Only 4 players who started their last league contention of 2024 were successful the Port Vale starting 11 connected Wednesday, Ben Heneghan, Connor Hall, Ryan Croasdale and Rico Richards.

Tom Sang was eligible to instrumentality from his reddish paper suspension successful midweek but did not spot the tract against Cheltenham, portion Ben Amos replaced Connor Ripley successful goal, collecting a cleanable expanse with 4 stops.

Doncaster Rovers imaginable starting lineup:
Sharman-Lowe; Sterry, Olowu, McGrath, Maxwell; Bailey, Broadbent; Molyneux, Sharp, Gibson; Ironside

Port Vale imaginable starting lineup:
Amos; Clark, Heneghan, Hall; Hart, Croasdale, Chislett, Sang; Richards, Hackford, Tolaj

SM words greenish background

We say: Doncaster Rovers 2-1 Port Vale

Doncaster ever look to find a way, and they are facing a broadside struggling to make overmuch continuity of precocious and lacking assurance successful the attacking third.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer please click here.

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