Match preview | Port Vale vs Crewe Alexandra

Crewe Alexandra are the visitors to Vale Park on Monday night as the sides meet in a Sky Bet League Two clash.

After our 11-game unbeaten run ended at Gillingham, the Valiants returned to winning ways last weekend as we beat Morecambe 1-0 in a hard-fought affair at Mazuma Mobile Stadium.

Ethan Chislett’s 83rd minute winner earned Vale their sixth away win of the season and cemented our place at the top of the table.

Gaffer’s thoughts:

Here’s what the gaffer had to say ahead of Monday’s clash with Crewe Alexandra:

“It’s an excellent game for many reasons, with both clubs sitting in the league and the form both teams have shown. It’s a local game so it’s great for the local community in terms of both sets of fans.”

“It’s a game at Vale Park that we’re really looking forward to. It is a game at Vale Park where there is anticipation and appetite for the game. There is a feel-good factor around the game and that is simply because of the work that has been done at the start of the season and where we see ourselves as a football club.”

“It will be a good test for us on Monday, but a test that we are very much looking forward to. From myself, the staff and players were really looking forward to the game and hopefully the game will be a wonderful advertisement for League Two football.”

Player’s thoughts

Vale defender Conor Grant made 17 appearances for Crewe during a loan spell in the 2017/18 season. He also spoke to the media ahead of Monday night’s game:

“This is the best kind of game, especially at home under the lights. As it happens, it’s going to be 1st against 2nd or 3rd, so it’s set for a brilliant game and it’s on TV, which is a bonus. “

“There is a lot of build-up and noise from outside before the game, but we have to prepare and be as detailed as we are, as we are for every game. There’s a bit more emotion in these games, so it’s important that you stay calm and don’t get sent off! I just try to stay calm and think about what I have to do in the game that will enable me to perform well.”

The opposition

Crewe are one of the more in-form teams in the league, coming into the match on a seven-game unbeaten run in the league, which consists of four wins and three draws.

The Railwaymen currently occupy 5th place in League Two with 28 points from 15 games, five points behind the Valiants.

In their last outing, Alex beat Notts County 2-0 at the Mornflake Stadium. Shilow Tracey opened the scoring with a solo run, then saw him rise with the ball from his own box before slotting through the legs of the keeper in the 40th minute. Crewe doubled their lead just after the hour when Ryan Cooney dispatched a penalty after Omar Bogle was fouled in the box.

From a Crewe perspective, the only downside to this win was that they finished the game with ten men as Chris Long was sent off within a minute of coming on as a substitute.

After losing in the play-off final last season, Crewe are looking to go one step further this year and their positive start to the season is certainly not doing them any harm.

Who is responsible? l

A product of Crewe’s academy, Lee Bell’s journey at the club began when he was just 14 years old when he signed a schoolboy contract.

Since then, Bell has made 136 appearances for the club, spanning two separate spells. The 41-year-old has done it all at the club, from player to U18’s manager, U23’s manager, assistant manager and now first team manager.

Bell took charge of Alex in 2022 after Alex Morris left the club to join Stoke City. After becoming the club’s permanent manager in December 2022, Bell guided his side to a mid-table finish. In his first full season in charge, Crewe finished 6th in League Two before losing to Crawley Town in the play-off final.

In his 109 games as manager of the club, Bell has won 43, lost 36 and drawn 30, giving him a win percentage of 39%.

Player to watch

Mickey Demetriou has been the club’s standout player this season. The Crewe skipper recently made his 50th start for the Railwaymen in what has been a successful stint so far.

Last season, Demetriou played a crucial role in Crewe’s run to the play-offs. The centre-back scored nine goals and had six assists from his defensive position. At the End Of Season Awards he picked up the club’s Players’ and Supporters’ Player of the Season and was also named in both the EFL and PFA’s League Two Team of the Season.

Another player to watch is in-form Shilow Tracey. With five goals in his last seven league games, Tracey has been Crewe’s biggest attacking threat so far this season.

With four goals and five assists this season, Ryan Cooney is another player to watch. The Crewe full-back has been involved in five goals in his last five games and will pose a threat down the right.

Last time we met

Port Vale 1-0 Crewe Alexandra, Tuesday 5 September 2023.

Despite being a league apart, the sides met twice last season. Once in the Carabao Cup when the Valiants progressed on penalties. It was 0-0 after ninety minutes, so the match went straight to penalties. Crewe missed all three of their spot-kicks, meaning that when James Wilson and Ollie Arblaster scored, Vale progressed to the next round.

The other meeting between the sides came at Vale Park in Group B of the EFL Trophy. The only goal of the game came in the 18th minute when Tom Sang’s cross found Ben Garrity who beat his man and fired past Tom Booth in the Crewe goal to earn Vale all three points in the EFL Trophy. Ryan Cooney was sent off in added time after receiving a second booking following an altercation with Mitch Clark.

Fixture Throwback

Port Vale 1-0 Crewe Alexandra, Saturday 6th April 2019

The teams last met in the league at Vale Park back in April 2019 and it was Vale who picked up what proved to be a vital three points.

In the first half, Anthony Kay and Tom Conlon both had good opportunities saved by Ben Garratt in the Crewe goal. Three minutes before the break, Vale had Nathan Smith to thank as he was in the right place at the right time to chest Jordan Bowery’s effort off the line.

In the 72nd minute Anthony Kay had a low effort cleared off the line as the ball fell kindly to him following a corner.

Six minutes later a deep cross was sent back across goal by Montano and it fell perfectly onto the left foot of Tom Pope who curled a half-volley into the far corner to give Vale the lead.

It should have been 2-0 just three minutes later when David Worrall raced through on goal but Ben Garratt got on top to deny him in a one-on-one situation.