Preview: Shrewsbury Town vs. Port Vale - prediction, team news, lineups

In contrast, the visitors are experiencing a poor spell of form after failing to win any of their last five matches.

Match preview

After losing 3-0 to Fleetwood Town on New Year's Day, Shrewsbury sat in 16th place with 11 points separating them from the playoffs.

Impressively, Steve Cotterill's side have not dropped a single point since the defeat to Fleetwood, after winning their last five league games by a combined 13-2 scoreline.

Last weekend, Shrewsbury claimed a narrow 1-0 away win over Oxford United thanks to Ryan Bowman's 74th-minute winner, moving them to within three points of the top six.

Although they have played two games more than sixth-placed Barnsley, Shrewsbury will now be dreaming of securing a place in the League One playoffs for the first time since the 2017-18 season.

While Shrewsbury may have kept three consecutive away clean sheets, they have only recorded two home clean sheets in the league all season, which is something Cotterill will be keen to improve upon.

Meanwhile, Port Vale were also contemplating a playoff push not too long ago, but their hopes of achieving a top six finish have dissipated in recent weeks.

The Valiants have only picked up two points from their last five games, leaving them in 14th place with 10 points separating them from both the playoffs and the relegation zone.

Unlike Shrewsbury, Darrell Clarke's side were in action in midweek as they played out a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Accrington Stanley.

David Worrall restored parity after Aaron Pressley had given Accrington the lead from the penalty spot, and Port Vale had the chance to win the game when Harvey Rodgers was sent off for handling the ball on the line, but Daniel Butterworth saw his penalty saved by Lukas Jensen, ensuring the midweek encounter finished all square.

As Port Vale look to end their winless run, they are also aiming to claim a third victory over Shrewsbury in the 2022-23 campaign after beating them 2-1 in the league and 4-0 in the EFL Trophy earlier this season.

Shrewsbury Town League One form:

L

W

W

W

W

W

Shrewsbury Town form (all competitions):

L

W

W

W

W

W

Port Vale League One form:

W

L

L

D

L

D

Team News

Shrewsbury are unable to call upon George Nurse and Dan Udoh, who are both sidelined with anterior cruciate ligament injuries.

Matt Pennington missed the 1-0 victory over Oxford through injury, and Cotterill has indicated that it is still unclear whether he will be fit for Saturday's contest.

After coming off the bench to score the winning goal last weekend, Bowman could be rewarded with a place in the starting lineup.

As for the visitors, they are still without the services of James Wilson, but they could welcome back their top scorer Ellis Harrison from a heel injury.

Harrison has scored eight league goals this season, and he may come into the lineup to partner Gavin Massey up front.

Matty Taylor joined Port Vale on loan from Oxford on the final day of the January transfer window, and he could recover from an injury issue to appear among the substitutes as he awaits his debut.

Shrewsbury Town possible starting lineup:

Marosi; Moore, Dunkley, Flanagan, Bennett, Winchester, Leahy, Shipley; Phillips; Bayliss, Bowman

Port Vale possible starting lineup:

Stevens; Smith, Jones, Donnelly; Worrall, Conlon, Ojo, Benning; Garrity; Massey, Harrison

We say: Shrewsbury Town 2-0 Port Vale

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