Sports Mole previews Saturday’s League One clash between Port Vale and Plymouth Argyle, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Vale Park will be the backdrop for a crucial clash in League One‘s relegation battle when Port Vale host Plymouth Argyle on Saturday.
The Valiants are looking for a first win in seven third-tier matches, while the Pilgrims will be desperate to avoid being cut adrift at the foot of the table.
Match preview
Darren Moore‘s Port Vale earned promotion from League Two in 2024-25, and it would be fair to say that they have struggled with the step-up so far.
The Valiants come into this clash on the back of a six-game winless run in the league, with the most recent of their three triumphs being a 2-0 victory over Barnsley on September 27.
That being said, Moore’s men drew 0-0 with Wycombe Wanderers last weekend, and fans will have their fingers crossed in hope that the result can act as a springboard considering that it ended a three-game third-tier losing streak.
In any case, that stalemate has Port Vale 23rd in the table, where their tally of 14 points sees them just three behind 20th-placed Exeter City, the first team above the drop zone.
Given that they are up against the most out-of-form club in the division, the hosts will view this contest as a golden opportunity to secure a rare win, though they will need to defy their home record to do so having triumphed just once on their own turf in League One this term.
Additionally, Port Vale have not scored in any of their last four league matches and have netted in just one of their last six, so Moore will need to address their lack of attacking output for winning to even be feasible.
Meanwhile, Tom Cleverley‘s injury-stricken Plymouth are in dire straits ahead of Saturday’s crunch clash and are at risk of back-to-back relegations as things stand.
The Pilgrims have lost their last six games across all competitions prior to kick off – including their most recent four in the league – drawing public criticism from fans and pundits, and putting the manager under serious pressure.
With their match against Bradford City being postponed due to a number of international call-ups, Cleverley’s side have not played since November 11, when they were beaten 1-0 by Bristol Rovers in the EFL Trophy.
By Saturday, it will be two weeks since Plymouth lost 3-1 on the road to Huddersfield Town – their last outing in the third tier – and fans are hoping the extended break can give the team a chance to reset.
At the moment, the Pilgrims are bottom of the pile in League One, and while hope remains given that they are only one point behind Port Vale, another defeat against a demotion rival would be a major blow.
With that in mind, the visitors will need to defy their shocking travelling record in 2025-26 that has seen them lose all but two of their 11 games on the road this season, as well as all five of their away contests since late September.
However, like their hosts, Plymouth are struggling to put the ball in the back of the net, as highlighted by the fact that they have scored just one goal during their last five away trips while conceding 10.
Port Vale League One form:
Port Vale form (all competitions):
Plymouth Argyle League One form:
Plymouth Argyle form (all competitions):
Team News
Port Vale are expected to be without a number of wide players this weekend as right wing-backs Mitch Clarke and Jordan Lawrence-Gabriel – as well as the left-sided Liam Gordon – are all out.
In their absence, Kyle John and Marvin Johnson could continue at wing-back, though the pair were taken off with knocks against Wycombe last Saturday.
As for Plymouth, they are once again missing left-back Jack MacKenzie and centre-back Julio Pleguezuelo, both of whom have sat out the entirety of the campaign through injury.
Right wing-back Joe Edwards is also a doubt, and if he is unavailable, then Kornel Szucs, Mathias Ross and Brendan Galloway could start in a defensive trio, flanked by Matthew Sorinola and Owen Dale.
Elsewhere, Ayman Benarous, right-winger Xavier Amaechi and attacking midfielder Caleb Watts are all likely to be out, though Lorent Tolaj and Owen Oseni should be on hand to feature up top, supported by Bradley Ibrahim, Malachi Boateng and Law McCabe from the centre of the park.
Port Vale possible starting lineup:
Gauci; John, Humphreys, Heneghan, C Hall, Johnson; G Hall, Garrity, Walters; Cole, Paton
Plymouth Argyle possible starting lineup:
Hazard; Szucs, Ross, Galloway; Sorinola, Ibrahim, Boateng, McCabe, Dale; Tolaj, Oseni
We say: Port Vale 0-0 Plymouth Argyle
Both Port Vale and Plymouth are coming into this game in poor form, and both will see the clash as a major opportunity to find a rare win.
However, the Valiants have struggled for goals in recent weeks, while the Pilgrims have trouble scoring away from home, and fans could be left frustrated by a goalless draw on Saturday.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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