Port Vale
- Port Vale are on back-to-back League One defeats, though they have won two cup games in a row.
- The Valiants are at the bottom of the League One table with just 18 points from 25 games and in desperate need of a revival.
- Brady has quickly introduced his ideas of playing an intense game, full of transitions and work-rate, which his team have followed well in recent cup wins.
- Both of those performances showed that there is a bit more quality to Vale than we might have given them credit for before Christmas and it will all come down to how they react to going behind in a close game on Saturday.
Leyton Orient
- Leyton Orient are in the middle of a poor run of results with only one win, one draw and three defeats in their last five in all competitions.
- Richie Wellens is an adaptable coach who likes to play a structured, possession-based game but has swapped between four and five at the back this season to find the right formula of solidity and attacking intent.
Key Players
- Dominic Ballard’s hat-trick in Tuesday’s win over Reading makes him the talisman of the side and he now has 10 League One goals this season.
- When fit, Theo Archibald is also a threat from set pieces and his leadership in midfield dictates the tempo of the game.
- Aaron Connolly adds pace and penetration in behind, while Jayden Stockley and Ronan Curtis have been instrumental in Vale’s recent cup success with their ability to hurt teams in transition and in wide areas.
- Devante Cole is still the club’s only reliable attacking outlet and, despite his lack of chances in recent games, his six league goals make him a good shout to get on the scoresheet in this clash.
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Recent stats:
- Dominic Ballard - hat-trick vs Reading, 10 League One goals
- Devante Cole - 6 league goals
Betting Insights
We are siding with Leyton Orient , however, as the favourites to win on Saturday with the odds available still at a healthy 2.08 , as opposed to the 3.45 available on Vale as the long shots.
Prediction
This should be a tight game that will be decided by set pieces and pressing when the visitors get it right, so we are going for both teams to score at 1.93 .
