New Years Day preview

North Staffs Football kicks off the New Year with a full fixture list.

Stoke City look to bounce back from their 2-0 defeat to Fulham with another match at the Britannia against Everton.

Britannia Stadium

Tony Pulis has called for Jermaine Pennant to keep focused after signing a two-and-a-half-year deal from Spanish side Real Zaragoza.

David Moyes’s side are the visitors and boast just two wins away from Goodison Park, but the Toffees could prove hard to break down, having drawn six on their travels.

In League Two, Port Vale will have to put aside worries over Micky Adams departure as they travel to Yorkshire side Rotherham.

Rotherham would leapfrog Vale with a win, as Adams’s men look to bounce back from a second successive defeat to Gillingham on Boxing Day.

Burton Albion welcome play-off contenders Shrewsbury Town to the Pirelli Stadium. The Brewers have slipped down to 14^th and are in need of a win to boost their own play-off chances.

The Shrews are poor travellers for their league position and have notched just three wins.

In the Blue Square North, Stafford Rangers face a tough test at AFC Telford as Tim Flowers searches for his first league win at the helm.

Rangers sit 20^th and are desperate for a win to lift themselves out of the relegation spots, but having netted only twice on their travels so far this campaign the odds are certainly stacked against them.

In the Evo Stik Division One South, Kidsgrove Athletic and Leek Town battle out a North Staffordshire derby at the Seddon Stadium.

Grove will be hoping to push home advantage as they look to challenge for a top two finish this season, whilst Leek’s prerogative is merely survival. The Blues haven’t kicked a ball in anger since November 23.

Elsewhere, Newcastle Town travel to Market Drayton Town.

NSF predictions

Stoke City 1 Everton 1

Burton Albion 1 Shrewsbury 2

Rotherham 2 Port Vale 2

AFC Telford 3 Stafford Rangers 0

Kidsgrove Athletic 2 Leek Town 1

Market Drayton 1 Newcastle Town 3

Let North Staffs Football know your score predictions!

Match Preview: Burton Albion vs Port Vale

Burton Albion’s Pirelli Stadium hosts their match with Port Vale tonight (Nov 2).

Port Vale will hope to continue their impressive league record after beating Crewe 2-1 at the weekend.

Burton Albion

But Micky Adams’s men will be wary of the Brewers impressive home form, having only lost one on home soil this season.

The Brewers sit in 12th, four points off the play-offs and Vale hope to keep on Chesterfield’s heels at the top of the League Two table.

Port Vale

Paul Peschisolido’s men have no new injury worries ahead of the game.

Aaron Webster could feature after missing the last two games with a dead leg, while Russell Penn and Jimmy Phillips are pushing for starts.

Vale are set to recall club captain Tommy Fraser in place of midfielder Anthony Griffith, who is suspended after seeing red in Saturday’s clash with Crewe.

New loan signing Jake Speight will also be involved, but wingers Lewis Haldane (ankle) and Rob Taylor (hamstring) are still out injured.

In last year’s trip to the Pirelli, Burton fans claimed the bragging rights as Jacques Maghoma slotted home the only goal of the game.

Kick-off is 7.45pm

North Staffs Football predicts a 2-1 win to Vale, but leave us with you comments on what you think the score will be.

Brewers record first-ever win over Bradford

Burton Albion via Wiki

 

Burton Albion strolled to a 3-0 win against Bradford City, their first ever win over the former-Premier league outfit.

Shaun Harrad fired the Brewers into the lead from the spot just after the half-hour mark after Lewis Young was brought down by Bradford stopper Jon McLaughlin.

On-loan striker James Collins doubled the advantage ten minutes into the second-half with a glancing header courtesy of Adam Bolder’s teasing cross.

The Brewers polished the game off in style through Russell Penn’s calm finish with just two minutes remaining.

The win hauls the Brewers up to 12th, just two points off the play-off spots.

Burton Albion: Legzdins, Moore, Corbett, Austin, Malone, McGrath, Maghoma, Bolder, Harrad (Phillips 81), Young (Penn 66), Collins Subs not used: Clancy, Stanton, Dyer, Walker, Pearson