Port Vale host Bolton at Vale Park this Saturday in a jam-packed weekend in League One. Both sides have had good starts to the season, making this tie tough to call but likely to be an entertaining affair.
The Valiants currently sit fourth in League One after nine games. With five wins, two draws and two losses, Port Vale have 17 points to their name. This leaves them just two points adrift of top of the table Portsmouth and one point away from automatic promotion.
In their last five games in all competitions Port Vale have three wins, one draw and one loss. In the Football League Trophy Group stage, Port Vale beat ten man Crewe Alexandra thanks to an early goal from Ben Garrity. Garrity was once again on the scoresheet against Northampton Town. Port Vale held Northampton to just one shot on target as Garrity scored in the 84th minute to give The Valiants the 1 - 0 win. Oliver Arblaster joined Garrity on the scoresheet, but goals from Baryly Lubala, Steve Seddon and Kwadwo Baah gave Burton the 3 - 2 win. Garrity scored yet again against Cambridge but the equaliser from Fejiri Okenabirhie saw the game finish 1 - 1.
Port Vale’s last outing was on Tuesday in the Third Round of the League Cup. The Valiants hosted League Two Sutton United. Joshua Thomas and Funso Ojo both scored in the 2 - 1 win over Sutton who had Hisham Kasimu on the scoresheet.
Bolton, on the other hand, sit seventh in League One. The Wanderers have four wins, two draws and two losses, leaving them on 14 points. Though Bolton are three points away from their opponents this weekend, Bolton do have a game in hand on Port Vale and all of those but one above them in the table.
In their last five games in all competitions, Bolton have three wins, one draw and one loss. Dion Charles converted a penalty and was joined by Josh Dacres-Cogley on the scoresheet in the 2 - 1 win over ten man Derby County, who had Conor Hourihane on the scoresheet. In the Football League Trophy, Carlos Gomes, Ricardo Santos and Aaron Morley all scored in the 3 - 0 win over Salford City. Charles scored again for Bolton, but Charlie Savage and Caylan Vickers gave Reading the 2 - 1 win as Eoin Toal was sent off for Bolton. The Wanderers were once again down to ten men as Gethin Jones was sent off in the first half, but Victor Adebayo grabbed the equaliser for the 1 - 1 draw against Peterborough.
Bolton’s last time out was in the Football League Trophy on Tuesday. Here The Wanderers faced Manchester United’s U21 team in the Group stage. Gethin Jones, Jon Dabi Boovarsson, Khumbeni and Matheson all scored along with doubles from Dan Nlundulu and Josh Sheehan to beat United 8 - 1.
Port Vale and Bolton have met 41 times in their histories, with the first meeting coming all the way back in 1900. Bolton have dominated the fixture with 27 wins in comparison to Port Vales’ three wins, with a draw being much more frequent that a Valiants win, with 11 draws in the fixture.