Port Vale v Peterborough match predictions: Ferguson can give Posh a push

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for the League One clash between Port Vale and Peterborough on Monday.

Where to watch

Sky Sports Football & Main Event, 8pm Monday

Best bet

Peterborough
1pt 6-4 general

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Team news

Port Vale
Centre-back Lewis Cass is expected to replace Connor Hall, who left the club to join Colchester. Brad Walker is another January departure and Tom Conlon could earn a recall.

Peterborough
Ollie Norburn is a long-term absentee and is unlikely to play again this month. Goalkeeper Will Norris is expected to start after joining on-loan from Burnley and fellow signing Nathanael Ogbeta is also likely to be involved.

Match preview

Darren Ferguson starts his fourth spell in charge of Peterborough with a trip to Port Vale and his return to the dugout, on an interim basis, can see Posh pick up a well overdue away victory.

It may not be a case of new ideas under Ferguson, who first took charge of the London Road side in 2007, but it may not take much of a change to get Peterborough back in the playoff picture.

Posh have won just one of their last seven matches, and slipping a whopping 20 points off the automatic promotion places, cost Grant McCann his job. However, Peterborough’s performances have been far better than their results and things may come together at Vale Park.

Ferguson’s men are without a win in four away third-tier matches, but they won the shot count 12-8 when earning a 1-1 draw at Charlton last time out.

And they competed well while losing by an odd goal at Ipswich. Posh had Ronnie Edwards sent off when losing 1-0 at Bristol Rovers and they scored twice, winning the shot count 13-5, yet somehow managed to lose 3-2 at Exeter.

That paints a picture of misfortune, and on the evidence of Peterborough's recent efforts, they appear to have been underrated by 6-4 on offer about the away win.

Port Vale are enjoying an excellent return to League One and they look to have a squeak of hitting the playoffs themselves.

However, the Valiants have lost to Ipswich, Sheffield Wednesday and Portsmouth at Vale Park this term and another of the third-tier’s bigger sides may add their name to the list.

Vale won 3-1 at Forest Green last time out, but it wasn’t anywhere near as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. Rovers led that contest until the 86th minute, before three late goals gave Vale the victory against the division’s bottom side.

Darrell Clarke’s men have also been turned over by Wednesday and Bristol Rovers in recent weeks and they look likely to come up short against what could be a resurgent Peterborough side.