The Bulls travel to Burslem on Tuesday night to face Port Vale in a League Two match.
The two sides met at Edgar Street in October for a 1-1 draw with Sean Canham scoring for the Bulls before getting sent off and conceding a harsh penalty for an alleged trip on Justin Richards. Former Vale manager Micky Adams felt the Bulls deserved a point for their battling performance that day. Trips to Vale Park haven't been fruitful over the years. Last season's 2-0 loss there, a game to also feature two red cards, was the Bulls sixth defeat in seven visits and you must go back to August 1979 for the Bulls last win. That day a 17 year old Andy Feeley scored the only goal to earn the points for the Bulls.
If I had done this preview on Sunday night as planned, it would have been a different story entirely. Port Vale's sacking of the deeply unpopular Jim Gannon has seen the fans unite behind the players, if not the board. With the ongoing Black & Gold campaign seeking changes in the boardroom there are likely to be further protests against the regime tomorrow night. New caretaker bosses Mark Grew and Geoff Horsfield had a two game spell in charge earlier in the season when Micky Adams left, losing the opener 5-0. Two players won't be featuring for definite tomorrow, with Sean Rigg suspended and Gannon favourite Dominic Blizzard returning to Bristol Rovers with a claimed injury.
In Stefan Stam the Bulls have acquired the ball-playing central defender that the fans were calling for. Quite whether he is fully match fit after not playing for Yeovil since November is another matter. Whatever happens there will have to be another shuffle of the pack with Joe Colbeck suspended for his weekend red card. Rob Purdie is the likely man to return to the starting XI in his place although it could see a rare appearance from Dan Stratford, who was mainly used as a right winger at previous sides.
Port Vale vs Hereford United, Vale Park, Tuesday 22nd March, 7.45pm.