Sheffield Wednesday visit Port Vale in what promises to be a fascinating pre-season friendly

Following a week-long training camp, Darrell Clarke’s side are back in action as they welcome newly-relegated League One side Sheffield Wednesday to Vale Park on Tuesday evening.

Clarke’s side have only won two of their five pre-season tests this term – with both victories coming away against local non-league sides Kidsgrove Athletic and Newcastle Town, which ended 2-0 and 6-2 respectively.

The Valiants’ last pre-season fixture ended in a 2-0 defeat to Chris Hughton’s Nottingham Forest. Whilst the Burslem side played well that afternoon, they’ll be hoping to remain competitive in Tuesday’s encounter and put on a show for the fans in attendance.

This friendly is the first opportunity that Port Vale fans have had to return to Vale Park since the COVID-19 pandemic forced all teams across the UK to play their games behind closed doors for the full duration of last season.

Valiants fans have been eagerly anticipating their homecoming for several months, and their presence and support was certainly missed when their side got sucked into the League Two relegation battle in the winter months.

Port Vale’s new goalkeeper Aidan Stone impressed in his 45 minute cameo during the Forest test. The former Mansfield Town man pulled off some brilliant saves and kept the score down as Nuno da Costa and Alex Mighten, who scored a stunning goal in the first half, were presented with good chances but Stone denied them well.

Clarke was disappointed in the nature of the goals that his Port Vale side conceded that day, so he’ll be hoping for a water-tight defensive showing when his team face-off against the Owls.

Sheffield Wednesday also come into this game winning just two of their pre-season friendlies. The Yorkshire side beat Chester FC through goals from Josh Windass and Korede Adedoyin, and Alfreton Town away with the game’s solitary goal coming from winger Andre Green.

The Owls have suffered pre-season defeats to higher-level opposition like Scottish Premiership runners-up Celtic, Championship Playoff semi-finalists Barnsley, with the latest test coming against recently relegated West Bromwich Albion last Tuesday.

Darren Moore’s side would’ve faced Wrexham on Saturday afternoon, however positive COVID cases in the Welsh side’s camp forced the fixture to be cancelled.

The one to watch for Wednesday is club captain Barry Bannan. A player who can turn a game on it’s head with his technical ability and excellent set-piece deliveries. These traits will be crucial if the Yorkshire side are to mount a promotion charge this campaign.

These sides have only met on 30 occasions previously, with the most recent meeting coming in a League Cup clash in 2009 where Vale walked away victorious through goals from Kris Taylor and Robert Taylor.

Out of the 30 previous encounters, the Valiants have won 14 ties, with Wednesday victorious in 12 and the remaining four ending in a stalemate.

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