Match Preview: Port Vale vs U's

26 April 2024

The fight for survival comes down to the final matchday of the 2023/24 Sky Bet League One campaign as Cambridge United look to secure their safety by taking points from relegated Port Vale at Vale Park…

How to Watch

Saturday afternoon’s crunch tie in Burslem - which gets underway at the earlier time of 12:30pm - is an all-ticket clash, with well over 1,000 U’s fans planning to make the journey.

Help the lads get over the line by purchasing your tickets online at cufctickets.com or by calling 01223 566500 (option 1) prior to the 12pm deadline on Friday 26 April. Tickets can be collected either at the Abbey Stadium Club Shop or from the Vale Park Away Collection Point on the day.

Alternatively, supporters in the UK or abroad who can’t attend can get behind the boys from home by securing an iFollow Match Pass – passes cost £10 and can be purchased by clicking here.

Opposition Focus

After their formation in 1876, Vale fluctuated between the Football League and Midland League after a sticky patch almost forced them into oblivion. With time, they continued to add to a sizeable trophy cabinet, which now reads at four promotions from the third tier, six from the fourth and two EFL trophies, which were won in 1993 and 2001. Since the turn of the millennium, the Valiants have yo-yoed between the two divisions, but the appointment of Darrell Clarke was an inspired one as he guided the side to play-off triumph at the fifth attempt. An 18th placed ranking last season was an applaudable feat, with the well-run side hoping to continue defying the odds this time around, but unfortunately it proved not to be the case with their relegation back to the fourth tier confirmed recently.

In former Sheffield Wednesday and Huddersfield Town manager Darren Moore, they have pedigree and he’ll hope to galvanise the club to go again over the summer. As for now, the Valiants set up in the popular and modern 3-4-1-2 formation. Excellent shot stopper Connor Ripley has been a mainstay, with the indispensable Nathan Smith at the back and in the middle of 22-year-old Jesse Debrah and Scot Alex Iacovitti. Tom Sang and Conor Grant have been the ones offering support from out wide and link up with Funso Ojo and Jensen Weir in the engine room. In the attacking department, Ethan Chislett has been the star man after registering 16 goal involvements, Ben Garrity has also been enjoying his best goalscoring season and former U’s cult hero Uche Ikpeazu partners him, with exciting 17-year-old talent Baylee Dipepa hoping to gain some minutes too.

A miserable introduction to the campaign saw Vale succumb to a 7-0 hammering at Barnsley, but they responded with a scintillating run of five victories and a draw from six, shooting them up the division. Form drastically dipped heading into the winter months, with an 11-match winless run in the middle of their journey to the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup. Back-to-back wins prior to Christmas gave them a boost, but a New Year’s Day defeat to basement side Carlisle United signalled the start of 14-game streak without victory to continue the slide. Successive wins over Burton Albion and Bristol Rovers at the end of March handed hope, but a 2-0 defeat to Bolton Wanderers last time out – their fourth in a row – sealed their fate. Situated in 23rd on 40 points, the aim is to go out with three points as they prepare for the battle to one day return.

Form Guide

Port Vale: DLLLL

Cambridge United: LDLLD

United’s Approach

The U’s fight to retain their League One status goes down to the final day and kick for the second season running as they were unable to capitalise on their game in hand in midweek as Wycombe Wanderers snatched a 1-1 tie at CB5.

With the opportunities flying throughout an end-to-end encounter, it was the hosts who crucially drew first blood mid-way through the second half thanks to Gassan Ahadme’s expert header. Unable to preserve their lead, Luke Leahy equalised from the spot late in the evening to share the spoils and ensure more work for Garry Monk’s men.

Reflecting on the evening, the Head Coach said: “We can feel a bit deflated tonight but when we wake up tomorrow we know what the job is. If we continue to show the amount of effort in what we’re doing then on Saturday we’ll get what we deserve.”

Firmly in the driving seat, United simply have to avoid defeat against Vale and a fourth consecutive campaign in the third tier beckons. Failure to do that could make a path for fellow battlers Burton Albion and Cheltenham Town – with the latter knowing three points is a must. Where the U’s are concerned, they’re travelling to Stoke-on-Trent to win and conclude a topsy-turvy nine months with a day out to remember. Strap yourselves in.

Head-to-Head

Port Vale Wins: 13

Cambridge United Wins: 10

Draws: 3

Down Memory Lane

The points were shared in our previous meeting back in September as the U’s chalked another point towards a promising early tally with a 1-1 draw against the Valiants.

An early strike from Ben Garrity handed the visitors the impetus to control the game up until the hour mark, where some inspired substitutions from the hosts helped claw the leveller after Fejiri Okenabirhie headed home for the third successive league match. The number nine was then presented with an opportunity to win it from the spot in the dying embers, but penalty specialist Connor Ripley was on hand to claim and force a share of the spoils.

Analysing the previous encounters between the outfits, it’s evident that the U’s have enjoyed more of the recent success – registering three wins and the solitary defeat from the previous five. They’ll be hunting a third successive win at this weekend’s venue, with the 0-1 triumph in February 2021 accelerating their promotion push and the 0-2 success in April of last year the start of the great escape. Now, it’s time to make it three of the best by taking matters into their own hands and bowing out for the season in a positive style.

Officials

Referee: Ross Joyce

Assistant Referee: Alistair Nelson

Assistant Referee: Conor Brown

Fourth Official: Robert Massey-Ellis

Match Reports

Report: Port Vale 0-0 Cambridge United

6 Hours ago

Cambridge United secured their status as a Sky Bet League One outfit for another season as they played out a goalless draw against Port Vale at Vale Park on the final match of the 2023/24 campaign…

A single point was all that the U’s needed to secure safety and they did that in professional fashion by claiming a 14th league clean sheet, which in turn helped conclude in 18th position.

For the second successive campaign, United’s fate came down to the very final kick. This time around, they were well and truly in the driving seat, knowing that simply avoiding defeat – or potentially even a favour from others – would be enough to get through the line, but their sole focus was on grabbing a first win in six and signing out in positive style. As for the Valiants, whose fate was sealed last weekend, they too wanted to give their fans something to cheer about following just one victory in Burslem in 2024.

In reaction to the midweek draw against Wycombe Wanderers, Garry Monk opted to make two changes to his starting XI as defensive mainstays Ryan Bennett and Danny Andrew returned from illness to replace Jordan Cousins and Sullay Kaikai.

Buoyed by well over a thousand travelling supporters from Cambridgeshire, the U’s got the ball rolling on the mammoth pitch with a positive start. An ambitious 20-yard attempt from James Gibbons two minutes in blazed well wide of the crossbar, but just a matter of seconds later Gassan Ahadme picked the ball up on the outskirts of the area, bided his time and drilled towards the corner but was matched by Connor Ripley, who parried behind for a corner.

On the front foot against a youthful outfit, the U’s importantly didn’t give them a sniff, with the hosts’ first moment mustered on the 11th minute proving to be just a half-chance as a deep cross from Jensen Weir fell invitingly to the head of 17-year-old Baylee Dipepa inside the box, who could only loop it as Will Mannion calmly claimed.

A slight break owing to an injury for Rhys Walters died down the early tempo, with a nervy sense around the side following a period of real restriction in the final third. Up the other end, the creative Ethan Chislott tested his luck with a long-range strike on 27 – it was on target but didn’t panic Mannion.

Loud cries of “U’s are staying up” began to ring throughout the away end on the half an hour mark as results elsewhere heavily went in their favour. As a result, it handed some impetus on the pitch, with a nice move almost resulting in the opener shortly after. A spinning free-kick from Andrew was switched to Jubril Okedina down the right, who whipped in an impressive delivery to R. Bennett who cannoned a header just past Ripley’s near post.

With the cards consistently being dished out, it was fair to say it hadn’t been a classic in terms of action, but United had been in control throughout a calm and resilient first period.

The task coming out from the break for the U’s was to express themselves even more in the attack by forcing the game to their opponents. Sullay Kaikai was brought on to add the pace and creativity as Macauley Bonne made way.

On the 51st minute, the ball was given away and handed to former U Uche Ikpeazu, who picked his spot from 25 yards out and drilled a weak curler straight at the visiting goalkeeper.

The target man rued a golden opportunity to draw first blood a minute later when Chislett’s pinpoint cross fell to Ikpeazu from virtually yards out – the slightest of touches with his head would have rippled the net but he couldn’t leap high enough to connect.

Darren Moore’s side remained in the ascendency following the let-off, with no real sign of the U’s breaking deadlock until the 66th minute when Liam Bennett was played in down the right before slipping in a teasing ball to the six-yard box where captain Nathan Smith crucially sliced over his crossbar.

Taking things up a gear, a rally of vicious strikes from L. Bennett and Kaikai five minutes later were well-blocked, before a defence-splitting pass from Okedina was met by a racing James Brophy – he sprinted towards the box but was fouled in the nick of time. Despite cries for a penalty, it was adjudged to be inches outside by referee Ross Joyce, and as a result Andrew territory, who hit it cleanly with bend but Ripley got down low to force a smart stop.

The atmosphere ramped up from here, with news also being revealed that fellow battlers Burton Albion had gone 3-0 down away at Fleetwood Town in addition to Cheltenham Town being held at Stevenage, so the job was all but done but the cherry on top would certainly be a late winner in Burslem.

Ultimately, the points were destined to be shared, with the U’s battling to their 14th and final clean sheet of the campaign to ensure the job of safety was accomplished and a fourth consecutive season in the third tier on the cards for the first time.

Port Vale: Ripley, Debrah, Smith, Iacovitti, Shorrock, Garrity, Walters (Ojo, 21’), Weir (Clark, 83’), Chislett (Buah, 83’), Ikpeazu (Lowe, 68’), Dipepa

Subs Not Used: Leutwiler, Lopata, Agnero

Goalscorers:

Bookings: Weir, Smith

Cambridge United: Mannion, Okedina, R. Bennett, Andrew, L. Bennett, Digby, Brophy (May, 89’), Gibbons, Kachunga (Hoddle, 92’), Bonne (Kaikai, 46’), Ahadme

Subs Not Used: Chadwick, Okenabirhie, Lankester, Cousins

Goalscorers:

Bookings: Gibbons, L. Bennett, Ahadme, Okedina

Referee: Ross Joyce

Attendance: 6378 (1066 away fans)

Standings