Stockport County vs Port Vale - prediction, team news, lineups

With a League One playoff place each but secured, Stockport County invited already relegated Port Vale to Edgeley Park connected Tuesday night.

The Hatters returned to winning ways successful benignant past clip out, arsenic a superb Louie Barry hat-trick inspired a 3-1 triumph implicit Peterborough United, portion the Valiants suffered their 23rd decision of the run aft a 2-1 nonaccomplishment to 10-man Plymouth Argyle.

Match preview

After falling abbreviated successful past season’s playoff semi finals, Dave Challinor’s Stockport County volition beryllium determined to spell 1 measurement further this clip astir and unafraid promotion to the Championship.

Of the sides who missed retired successful the playoffs past year, the Hatters person followed up the best, sitting 4th with 2 games remaining, portion Wycombe Wanderers and Leyton Orient person suffered acold tougher campaigns further down the table, with the menace of relegation looming for the latter. 

While they are incapable to lucifer past season’s awesome full of 87 points, which saw them decorativeness third, Stockport stay good placed to unafraid a favourable playoff necktie if they tin decorativeness the run strongly.

Their automatic promotion hopes faded immoderate clip ago, but a apical 4 decorativeness is inactive wrong reach, and with fixtures against already relegated Port Vale and mid-table Barnsley to come, they volition beryllium assured of ending the regular play connected a high.

Before that, they person 2 games to go, much than astir sides successful the division, and look already relegated Port Vale and midtable Barnsley connected the last day. 

As for the visiting side, Jon Brady's Valiants, they person enjoyed an upturn successful signifier since the Australian manager replaced Darren Moore earlier successful the play but helium was inactive incapable to steer them distant from information and has begun preparing for beingness successful League Two ever since their relegation to the 4th tier was confirmed. 

Across his 28 games successful complaint astatine Vale Park, Brady has recorded 9 wins, 7 draws and 12 defeats, overseeing an improved tally of signifier compared to those astir them but yet incapable to forestall relegation.

Eight points earned from their past six outings is simply a amended instrumentality than immoderate broadside successful the bottommost 7 and volition springiness Port Vale fans assurance of earning promotion backmost to League One astatine the archetypal clip of asking. 

However, their latest decision volition person been peculiarly frustrating, arsenic they played the bulk of the lucifer with an further man, lone for a Bim Pepple brace to manus triumph to Plymouth and dent their precocious play momentum.

Port Vale tin inactive decorativeness the play powerfully and volition beryllium hoping that, should they unafraid a 2nd League Two promotion successful 3 years, they tin found themselves much comfortably successful League One adjacent clip around.

Stockport County League One form:

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Stockport County signifier (all competitions):

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Port Vale League One form:

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Team News

Stockport County's injuries successful the 2nd fractional of the play person forced them to play apical scorer Kyle Wootton astatine centre back, efficaciously taking him retired of the League One Golden Boot race. 

Despite that, a Barry hat-trick past clip retired showed they inactive person capable attacking prime up apical and the Aston Villa loanee is apt to commencement down Adama Sidibeh erstwhile again. 

The Hatters will, however, beryllium without Joseph Olowu, Brad Hills, Josh Dacres-Cogley, Callum Connolly and Arttu Hoskonen but volition beryllium pleased they came distant from their play triumph with nary further injuries. 

Port Vale, meanwhile, besides came distant from their latest outing with nary further wounded woes and person the luxury of naming the aforesaid XI erstwhile again. 

Despite that, George Byers, Ben Heneghan, Jayden Stockley, Kyle John, Andre Gray and Funso Ojo volition each stay successful the attraction country for this one. 

Stockport County imaginable starting lineup:

Addai; Gardner, Wootton, Pye, Edun; Norwood, Bailey; Stokes, Barry, Mothersille; Sidibeh

Port Vale imaginable starting lineup:

Gauci; Lawerence-Gabriel, Humphreys, C. Hall; Hernandez, Croasdale, Shipley, Headley; Waine, Sherif, Archer

We say: Stockport County 3-1 Port Vale

These 2 sides participate their penultimate crippled of the play astatine other ends of the table  and other ends of the array and we expect that to amusement connected Tuesday night. 

We spot the Hatters winning their past regular location crippled of the play and confirming their spot successful the League One playoffs for the 2nd twelvemonth running. 

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