Preview: Blackpool vs Port Vale - prediction, team news, lineups

Both in danger of ending the season as one of the four League One relegated teams, Blackpool and Port Vale lock horns on Tuesday night as they attempt to build an escape to safety.

Despite the importance of the fixture, neither the Seasiders nor the Valiants will be able to climb out of the bottom four even with a victory.

Match preview

Ian Evatt’s Blackpool side head into their 38th League One outing sitting 21st in the table, three points adrift of safety, as the battle to avoid relegation intensifies.

Even if the Seasiders manage to secure their first win in six matches on Tuesday night, they will remain in the drop zone due to an inferior goal difference compared to the sides immediately above them.

Their defeat at the weekend proved particularly damaging to their survival hopes, as they fell to a 2-1 loss away at fellow strugglers Doncaster Rovers, a result that allowed Doncaster to move five points clear of Blackpool and further complicate the Seasiders’ fight for survival.

A major concern and a reason why they could be a League Two side next year is their poor defensive record.

No side has conceded more than their 61 goals, and Evatt will know he will need a tighter backline ahead of the final stretch of the season.

As for Port Vale, they are one of the few sides who have had a worse season than Blackpool.

Jon Brady's Valiants sit rock bottom of the third tier table after earning just 28 points from 34 matches, leaving Vale with a huge uphill battle to maintain their League One status for next season.

There has, however, been some respite for Port Vale in the FA Cup who have been able to defeat sides like Bristol City and Sunderland in recent weeks to reach the quarter-finals of the competition for the first time since 1954.

Despite their cup run, the Valiants have failed to build on their victories over Premier League and Championship opposition after losing at home to Bradford City and drawing 0-0 with Huddersfield Town.

That stalemate did little to improve their survival hopes, leaving the Valiants with a daunting 13-point gap to make up across their final 12 league matches.

Blackpool League One form:

W D L D L L

Port Vale League One form:

L D W D L D

Port Vale form (all competitions):

W D W W L D

Team News

Blackpool will be forced to make changes ahead of their midweek clash after receiving their third red card since the New Year.

Fraser Horsfall was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 89th minute and will play no part on Tuesday night.

With limited options to choose from, Zac Ashworth seems the most likely candidate to come in and replace him in defence.

Evatt's Seasiders will also be without James Tilley, Kamarl Grant, Andy Lyons, Ryan Finnigan, Albie Morgan and Michael Obafemi through injury.

Port Vale, meanwhile, could name an unchanged lineup after coming through their weekend draw without any fresh injury concerns.

However they still remain without a number of long-term absentees with all of Ben Heneghan, Cameron Humphreys, Ryan Croasdale, George Byers, Ben Garrity, and Jayden Stockley remaining on the sidelines.

After earning a rare clean sheet on Saturday, Brady will likely stick with centre-back trio of Tyler Magloire, Elijah Campbell and Liam Gordon.

Blackpool possible starting lineup:

Peacock-Farrell; Walters, Ashworth, Casey, Husband; Brown; Bloxham, Honeyman, Anderson, CJ Hamilton; Fletcher

Port Vale possible starting lineup:

Gauci; Magloire, Campbell, Gordon; Lawrence-Gabriel, Walters, Ojo, Headley; Waine, Sherif, Shipley

We say: Blackpool 1-1 Port Vale

Both sides enter this contest desperately searching for momentum in their fight against relegation.

However, with confidence low and huge defensive issues for both teams, this could prove to be a tense and scrappy encounter.

With that in mind, we expect a low-quality contest that ends with the points being shared, leaving both clubs still stuck in the League One relegation zone.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.