Port Valevs.Wrexham

The hosts are stumbling slightly in League Two but are still in the hunt at the top, while Wrexham will hope they can move up to the Championship at the first time of asking thanks to some generous backing from their owners.

Match preview

As second-favourites behind Birmingham City to win the League One title, Wrexham are also behind the Blues in the market for the EFL Trophy.

That is remarkable considering this is just their second season back in the competition following a near-two-decade absence, and after going out in the second round last season.

This time around though, Phil Parkinson's men beat Crewe Alexandra 1-0 to seal their place in the last 16, and a clash against a club they met during the group stage.

Wrexham lost on penalties here, but still won the group on goal difference after winning their other two encounters against Wolves Under-21s and Salford City, and following first-round exits in both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup, the visitors will hope this competition can provide some additional success.

It comes after a 1-0 win over Peterborough United at the weekend moved them back level on points with Wycombe Wanderers in the automatic playoff positions, but the Chairboys will play their game in hand on the same night as this cup tie, and could go three points clear again.

Leaders Birmingham are also two points ahead, and have the luxury of two games in hand, which could see that lead stretch to a handsome margin.

While Wrexham picked up yet another home win at the weekend, taking their record at home to 38 points from a possible 42, they are being severely held back by results on their travels.

Parkinson's side have taken just 13 points from 11 away league games so far this season, so their makeshift EFL Trophy side will hope there is no continuation of that here away from league action.

Like Wrexham, hosts Port Vale were also eliminated from both cup competitions at the first hurdle, but they are too in a promotion battle, which will be the main focus at present.

The 2001 winners have been in excellent form in the competition so far, going toe-to-toe with Wrexham in the group stage, before beating Doncaster Rovers 1-0 in the previous round.

This tie gives Port Vale the chance to match their best performance in the competition since they won it 24 years ago, a quarter-final run in 2019.

They will enter the game in higher spirits too, as they claimed their first win since the Doncaster EFL Trophy success at the weekend, beating, once again, Doncaster.

The five games between those successes over Donny yielded just three points and one goal for Darren Moore's side, completely derailing their title chances, with runaway leaders Walsall now 11 points ahead of them with two games in hand.

Saturday's win did move Vale back above Doncaster in the table though, and into the automatic promotion places, in a very tense battle that sees the gap between them in third and Grimsby Town in ninth at just four points.

Port Vale EFL Trophy form:

W

W

W

W

Port Vale form (all competitions):

D

D

L

L

D

W

Wrexham EFL Trophy form:

W

W

L

W

Wrexham form (all competitions):

D

D

W

W

L

W

Team News

With both clubs in the hunt for promotion in their respective divisions, wholesale changes are to be expected from the two managers, in particular Parkinson.

From the team that started against Crewe in the last round for Wrexham, only Jacob Mendy and Tom O'Connor started at the weekend too, and even then, neither player has been a regular in recent weeks.

Jack Marriott remains close to a return from injury, but Jamie Jones, George Evans, and long-term absentees Luke Bolton and Will Boyle remain out.

Top scorer Jayden Stockley is still a doubt for Port Vale and will most probably not be risked in this sort of game anyway, while Benicio Baker-Boaitey, Rekeem Harper and George Byers remain sidelined.

Moore dropped goalkeeper Connor Ripley for Ben Amos for the New Year's Day draw with Cheltenham Town, and the latter has kept his place, impressing in both, so Ripley could be the man to start here having now seemingly lost his place.

Port Vale possible starting lineup:

Ripley; Smith, Heneghan, Grant; Clark, Chislett, Lowe, Shorrock; Tolaj, Paton, Edwards

Wrexham possible starting lineup:

Foster; James, Scarr, McCarthy; Forde, Jones, Dobson, Adam, Revan; Faal, Bodvarsson

We say: Port Vale 1-3 Wrexham

Written by

Andrew Delaney

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