Match Preview: Port Vale

13 August 2021

Tranmere Rovers travel away to Vale Park on Saturday afternoon, for their first away fixture in the 2021/22 Sky Bet League Two season.

Micky Mellon’s side were 1-0 winners over Walsall on the opening day, but will look to bounce back after defeat to Oldham in the Carabao Cup during the week.

Tickets inforamtion for this fixture can be found here

Team News

Chris Merrie still has two matches left of his three game ban following a red card on the opening day.

Elliot Nevitt took a knock in the aftermath of his goal on Tuesday night and will be assessed going into Saturday.

Calum MacDonald is back running on the grass but is still not near a return just yet. Scott Davies also remains sidelined.

One to Watch

James Wilson

A product of the Manchester United academy, striker James Wilson made 20 first-team appearances in all competitions for the Red Devils, scoring four times.

After a number of loan spells away from the club, Wilson left for Aberdeen on loan in 2018, and joined permanently the following summer. He spent six months with The Dons, before moving to Salford in January 2020.

The 25-year-old had an 18-month spell with the Ammies, before making the move to Port Vale earlier this summer.

Manager

Darrell Clarke

The 43-year-old embarks on his first full season as Port Vale manager, having joined the club in February, and helped the side to finish 13^th.

As a player, he spent time with Mansfield, Hartlepool and Salisbury City, and started his management career with the latter. He later moved onto Bristol Rovers, first as assistant manager and was later promoted to manager.

He guided Rovers to back-to-back promotions, and left the club in 2018. His next managerial job was with Walsall, joining the Saddlers in May 2019 and leaving in February of this year.

Match Coverage

TRFC Radio will be in position for the match, providing full match build up and live commentary of the whole 90 minutes.

Audio passes are available for just £2.50 by clicking here. Every pass purchased benefits Tranmere Rovers.

You can follow the action through our social media channels below, with full text coverage during the fixture, followed by a match report.

Twitter: @tranmererovers

Facebook: @trfcofficial

Instagram: @tranmererovers

Match reaction from Micky Mellon and a player will follow on our website and YouTube channel.

Match Previews

Match Reports

Report: Port Vale 0-0 Tranmere Rovers

14 August 2021

Tranmere Rovers played out a 0-0 draw at Port Vale to maintain their unbeaten start to the league season.

Both teams created opportunities throughout, but were unable to find a breakthrough at Vale Park, with more than 1,000 TRFC supporters in attendance, seeing our blue and claret away shirt making its debut.

Calum McManaman and Ryan Watson were both named on the bench by manager Micky Mellon.

Liam Feeney made his 50th appearance for the Club, playing in an advanced midfield role, with Sam Foley and Jay Spearing just behind the former Blackburn Rovers and Millwall man.

The hosts, playing their first league back in front of fans, boasted an experienced line up including the likes of James Wilson, Mal Benning and long standing defender, Leon Legge.

Rovers had an early scare in the first few seconds when a long ball by Vale from kick-off saw James Wilson get the right side of Nat Knight-Percival and Keiron Morris, but an important intervention by Tom Davies saw TRFC clear for a corner.

A cross from Mal Banning nearly caught Joe Murphy off guard from the left channel, as the ball clipped the frame of the goal.

Tranmere had a couple of sights on goal themselves only for late blocks from the home defence, showing they were more than a threat for their opponents.

In the 19th minute, Mellon’s men had a glorious chance to go one goal to the good when Morris played the ball down the line for Liam Feeney to cross the ball to the back post for Josh Cogley, but the full back miss hit his shot.

A nice passage of play, once again including Morris and Feeney, saw the former play a clever one touch flick to the latter on the half way line. Racing through on goal, Feeney found space just inside the penalty area to take aim, but his shot was wayward, and straight into the autonet insurance stand.

On the turn, former Salford man Wilson nearly fired Vale in front but Joe Murphy was alert and dived down onto the ball.

Wilson was proving to be a handful for the hosts, and a third attempt by Vale’s number nine flew wide of the post.

Again, Vale came close when a corner to the back post resulted in a header by Legge which was blocked bravely by Emmanuel Dieseruvwe.

At the other end, Morris had a shot blocked by Dan Jones, denying a very clear goal scoring opportunity for Mellon’s side.

Tranmere had the first chance of the second period, when Dieseruvwe brought the ball down expertly inside the penalty area for Feeney to shoot, but he failed to hit the target.

At the other end, Wilson lashed a shot wide from the edge of the box in the 50th minute. Vale knocked on the Tranmere door again and a strong arm from Murphy denied the hosts taking the lead.

In the 56th minute, McManaman was introduced for Paul Glatzel in a first change for TRFC.

Tranmere tested Lucas Covolan in the home goal, the goalkeeper who scored for Torquay in the National League Play-Off final, earlier this summer, when Feeney’s cross was met by Dieseruvwe, but there was not enough power behind the chance.

Murphy was called in action in front of more than 1,000 travelling Tranmere supporters with a strong hand to deny Vale sub Jamie Proctor, but even if the former Preston man had scored, it wouldn’t have counted due to the striker pushing a TRFC defender in the lead up.

Vale came knocking once more with another shot from just inside the penalty area, but they were unable to hit the target.

Rovers had a glorious chance to take all three points when Sam Foley’s cross was headed wide by Nathanial Knight-Percival. Vale likewise had a glorious opportunity but yet again denied by Murphy, a wonderful performance by TRFC’s number 13.

Feeney was withdrawn for Watson with seconds remaining, but the match finished 0-0 and Tranmere move onto four points with a win and draw in their first two matches.

Tranmere: Murphy, Cogley, Knight-Percival, Davies, Clarke, Morris, Spearing, Foley, Feeney, Glatzel (McManaman 56), Dieseruvwe. Unused subs: Doohan, Jolley, Maguire, Hayde, Watson, Stratulis.

Our next game will be away at Swindon Town on Tuesday night, 7.45pm kick-off. You can purchase match tickets for the game now with full information available by CLICKING HERE or alternatively you can subscribe to iFollow by CLICKING HERE.