Match preview: Owls v Port Vale

29 December 2022

Wednesday v Port Vale
Thursday 29 December
7:45pm
League One
Hillsborough

THE MATCH

The Owls are on an 11-game run of resistance and will see out 2022 as the highest point accumulating team of the calendar year across all four tiers.

The 2-1 win at Fleetwood on Boxing Day keeps the heat on automatic promotion occupants Plymouth and Ipswich, who also posted victories.

All three are back in action on Thursday, with Wednesday entertaining Vale under the Hillsborough lights.

The visitors are in decent nick too having won four of their last six outings, with one defeat in the league (Bristol Rovers) and a Papa Johns Trophy reverse (Salford).

Vale head into the Hillsborough clash in ninth place after beating Morecambe 1-0 on home soil last time out.

TEAM NEWS

Wednesday: Darren Moore waits on the inclusion of Lee Gregory after the striker was forced out of the Boxing Day action with a back spasm.

Dominic Iorfa sustained a recent ankle strain and will sit out the Vale match.

Elsewhere, the Owls have no fresh injury concerns as Barry Bannan and George Byers came through the Fleetwood test unscathed, while Dennis Adeniran and Akin Famewo are available for selection.

Vale: Boss Darrell Clarke made four changes for the Boxing Day win over Morecambe as Lewis Cass, Sammy Robinson, Rory Holden and Gavin Massey replaced Connor Hall, Dave Worrall, Dennis Politic and James Wilson.

Clarke is battling a spate of illness in the camp and could shuffle his pack again for the trip to Hillsborough.

OFFICIALS

Referee - Darren Drysdale
Assistant Referee - Stephen Wade
Assistant Referee - Alex Gray
Fourth Official - Neil Hair

VIDEO

Reece James previews the Owls v Port Vale

iFOLLOW

As a designated midweek match, the game is available for live stream for supporters in the UK and overseas.

Passes, priced £10, are on sale now HERE

SOCIAL MEDIA

The hashtag for the game is #SHWPVA

Our official Twitter account @swfc will provide a blow-by-blow text update of the game, team news at 2:00pm and all the key updates from Hillsborough.

Our official Instagram @swfcofficial will also keep you up to date on the latest events, with content uploaded to the story throughout the matchday.

Why not also follow us on Facebook and Tik Tok!

Subscribe and turn on notifications from our YouTube channel, where you’ll find extended match highlights.

PREVIOUS MEETINGS

SUPPORTER CONDUCT

Following isolated anti-social behaviour incidents earlier in the season, we are reinforcing the importance of all supporters staying within EFL Ground Regulations, which can be found HERE.

Under the banner of ‘Love Football. Protect The Game’ the FA, Premier League and EFL have together introduced new measures and stronger sanctions across the game to tackle the increased anti-social, discriminatory and criminal behaviours seen within football grounds.

Find out more HERE

Match Reports

Report: Wednesday 2-0 Port Vale

29 December 2022

Michael Smith’s brace – one a penalty and the other a Goal of the Season contender – kept the Owls’ promotion bandwagon on track.

Port Vale were put to the sword as the Owls overcame the loss of Barry Bannan to turn in a convincing S6 display against the in-form visitors.

Bannan limped off midway through the first half but Wednesday were undeterred and Smith promptly opened the scoring before putting the game out of Vale’s reach in stunning style.

Bannan almost saw the Owls off to a flier with a sweet volley that was rising in front of the Kop after neat work from Callum Paterson and Smith.

Will Forrester took the full sting of a Paterson hit straight in the midriff as Wednesday bossed the ball and turned the screw.

But the pressure was eased on Vale when Bannan, typically influential from the start, was forced from the action 25 minutes in.

Vale were forced back into retreat, though, and right on the half-hour Wednesday took the lead from the spot.

Tom Conlon handled a deep Will Vaulks corner and Smith stepped up to drill emphatically past Jack Stevens.

Vale were drawn from their own half having fallen behind and struck two chances wide on the counter, first from Ellis Harrison and then James Wilson.

But the Owls held their lead to half time and continued on the offensive in the second 45.

Alex Mighten embarked on one blistering run down the right that ended with Vaulks stabbing wide via a clever headed knockdown from Smith.

Vale did pose their own threat when bursting forward and never more so when Harrison skied a golden opportunity after tricky wing work from Sam Robinson.

A superbly timed challenge from Mark McGuinness then thwarted Harrison as Darrell Clarke’s side began to look dangerous.

But any hopes of a comeback were extinguished by Smith’s blockbuster that knocked the stuffing from the Staffordshire side.

Taking an inch-perfect pass from Reece James into his stride, the big striker moved across his marker before unleashing an unstoppable hit from 25 yards that saw the Owls’ unbeaten run extend to 12 games.

Wednesday: Dawson, Palmer, McGuinness, James, Johnson, Byers (Adeniran 88), Bannan (Vaulks 25), Dele-Bashiru, Mighten (Hunt 71), Paterson, Smith

Match Reports

Ticket News

Ticket details: Owls v Port Vale

25 November 2022

Owls v Port Vale
Saturday 29 December 2022 – (7.45pm)
League One

Tickets for this Category B fixture start from £21 for Adult Owls Members and £5 for Under 11 Members on the Kop.

Season Ticket holders and Owls Members can purchase tickets now. General sale is from Monday 5 December.

Tickets can be bought in person at the Ticket Office, by telephone on 03700 20 1867 (Option 1 - £2 booking fee per ticket) or HERE.

Kop	Members	Non Members
Adult	£21	£24
Senior/Under 21	£11	£14
Student & Armed Forces	£11	£24
Junior U17	£10	£15
Junior U11	£5	£10
Junior U5 (advance sales)	£5	£5

North/Grandstand	Members	Non Members
Adult	£24	£27
Senior/Under 21	£14	£17
Student & Armed Forces	£15	£27
Junior U17	£10	£15
Junior U11	£5	£10
Junior U5 (advance sales)	£5	£5

South	Members	Non Members
Adult	£27	£30
Senior/Under 21	£17	£20
Student & Armed Forces	£17	£30
Junior U17	£10	£15
Junior U11	£5	£10
Junior U5 (advance sales)	£5	£5