Chesterfield vs Port Vale Prediction, Betting Tips & Preview

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Chesterfield

vs

Port Vale

KickoffTuesday 22 September 2026, 7:00pm

VenueSMH Group Stadium

CompetitionEFL Trophy

TV ChannelSky Sports+

Five games unbeaten, three wins on the spin, and Chesterfield are starting to look like a side that knows exactly what it wants. Paul Cook’s team have gone from a 2-1 loss to Rotherham at the end of August to a team that is climbing the League Two table and finding the net with real regularity. A 5-3 thriller against Manchester City’s under-21s in the EFL Trophy, followed by a composed 2-0 league win over York City at the weekend, tells you everything you need to know about where the Spireites are right now. Confidence is up, the goals are flowing, and now they want a fourth straight win.

Standing in their way are Port Vale, a side that came down from League One last season and have done very little to suggest they are ready to bounce back. Jon Brady’s men sit 23rd in League Two with just five points from seven games, and they head to Derbyshire without several key players. This one has a very definite favourite written all over it.

Chesterfield vs Port Vale Match Details

This EFL Trophy Group D clash takes place at the SMH Group Stadium in Chesterfield. The Spireites already have three points on the board in the group after their earlier Trophy win over Manchester City’s development side, while Port Vale are yet to play in the competition this season and badly need something to show from their Trophy campaign given their league form has been so poor.

Team News

Chesterfield are carrying a few injury concerns but the bigger story here is that Cook is expected to rotate heavily, giving fringe players and squad members a chance to stake their claim. Port Vale, meanwhile, are dealing with a combination of injuries and international absences that leaves Jon Brady with a significantly depleted squad to pick from.

• Malik Owolabi-Belewu is out for the rest of the season with an Achilles injury suffered earlier this month
• Zachary Hemming, Dylan Duffy, Ruel Sotiriou and Will Dickson are also unavailable for the hosts
• James Sissons, Chey Dunkley, Rafiq Lamptey and Fraser Bryden are all in contention to come into Chesterfield’s starting lineup
• Port Vale goalkeeper Jackson Smith is in concussion protocol after a training ground head injury last week
• Striker Mo Faal has been absent for five consecutive matchday squads and is not expected to feature
• Liam Gordon, Ben Waine, Tyreece Simpson and Keyrol Figueroa are all away on international duty for Port Vale

Predicted Lineups

Chesterfield are set to shuffle the pack significantly. Sissons comes in between the sticks, with Dunkley slotting into a back four alongside Pond, Pearce and Eccleston. Lamptey and Dyer should hold the midfield, with Anisjko, Mandeville and Randall providing the creative support behind Bryden up front.

Port Vale will likely line up with Marosi in goal given Smith’s concussion issue. A back four of John, Moon, Humphreys and Gabriel should sit ahead of him, with Walters, Hall and Headley forming a midfield three. Byers and Hernandez are expected to operate just behind the lone striker Watters, who will have a big responsibility carrying the attack almost entirely on his own given how thin Brady’s options are.

Recent Form

Chesterfield’s recent run has been genuinely impressive. After that defeat to Rotherham, they have responded emphatically. The win at Oldham showed they could grind out a result on the road when needed, the 5-3 against City’s under-21s showed they have attacking quality in abundance and a real desire to entertain, and then the 2-0 over York on Saturday showed they can be defensively solid too. That clean sheet was notable, the first one at the SMH Group Stadium since April, and it suggested something is starting to click at the back as well as at the other end. Lee Bonis and Dilan Markanday were the scorers, and that pair will fancy themselves to cause problems again here even if Cook rotates.

Port Vale’s form makes for very difficult reading. Three defeats from their last four outings, including back-to-back away losses to Swindon and Salford, and a 2-0 beating at Walsall on Saturday after they briefly looked like they had found some momentum with a home win over Exeter. That Exeter result now looks like a minor blip in a worrying downward trend rather than any kind of turning point. Brady’s side are low on confidence, low on numbers, and heading into a Trophy competition they cannot afford to exit in the group stage. They have not won away at Chesterfield since a 5-0 thrashing back in March 2010, which feels like a very long time ago.

Port Vale’s next two league games have been postponed due to international call-ups, so this Trophy double-header against Chesterfield and then Mansfield is absolutely all they have to focus on for the next few weeks. You could argue that gives them a clear head coming into this, but when your squad is missing key players and your confidence is shot, a free run at cup football is not automatically a good thing.

Head-to-Head Record

Chesterfield have not beaten Port Vale in their last three meetings, drawing one and losing two, which is a run that slightly complicates the picture. However, zoom out a little and the home record tells a more encouraging story for the Spireites, who have won five of their last seven home fixtures against the Valiants, with two draws. They have generally been the stronger side on their own patch in this fixture over recent years.

Port Vale’s last away win here came in March 2010, and that 5-0 scoreline feels like a completely different era of football from a completely different set of teams. Given the current states of both clubs, a Vale away win tonight would be a genuine shock.

Key Stats

• Chesterfield are unbeaten in five games and have won their last three in a row across all competitions
• Port Vale have lost three of their last four matches and sit 23rd in League Two with five points from seven games
• The Valiants have not won away at the SMH Group Stadium since March 2010, a run spanning over 16 years

Chesterfield vs Port Vale Betting Tips

Chesterfield are the clear favourites here and rightly so. They are in form, they are at home, and they are facing a Port Vale side that is short on players, short on confidence and without a League Two game until October. Cook will rotate but his squad has enough depth to win this one comfortably. The angle is backing Chesterfield to win with goals in the game, and finding a value pick in the individual markets too.

Corners Prediction

Chesterfield’s attacking play has been expansive and high-tempo lately, and they should dominate possession and territory against a Vale side playing without several regular starters. Back over 9.5 corners in this one. The home side’s wing play and attacking intent should generate plenty of set piece opportunities on their own.

Over and Under Goals Prediction

With Chesterfield pumping in five against City’s under-21s recently and Port Vale’s defence looking shaky, this feels like a game that goes over 2.5 goals without too much drama. The Valiants have shown they can score even when they are struggling, and Chesterfield’s attack has been firing freely. Over 2.5 goals is the call.

First Goalscorer Prediction

Fraser Bryden is expected to lead the line for Chesterfield and gets a chance to impress with Cook rotating. He is pushing for a bigger role in the squad and this is the kind of occasion where players with something to prove tend to deliver. Bryden to score first is the pick.

Both Teams To Score (BTTS) Prediction

Port Vale have scored in some of their recent games even while losing, and this Chesterfield back line will be rotated with several fresh faces coming in. The Valiants will have a go even if they are depleted, and Watters will fancy himself to get on the scoresheet. Both teams to score looks a reasonable shout at a ground where goals have been plentiful this season.

Correct Score Prediction

Chesterfield to win 3-1. They have the quality to put this to bed in the second half once they settle into it, and Port Vale will likely nick one but not enough to threaten the result. It mirrors what the form and the squad depth suggest should happen in a game like this.

Cards Prediction

EFL Trophy games can get a little feisty when the stakes are high, and Port Vale know they cannot afford to go out in the group stage. With a depleted and slightly desperate Valiants side up against a confident home team, there could be some frustration on the Vale side as the game progresses. Back over 2.5 cards in this one. At least three bookings feels likely if Port Vale feel they are being overrun.

Bet Builder Tip

Chesterfield’s attacking dominance should drive both the corners tally and the win, while Port Vale’s ability to nick a goal even in defeat makes the BTTS leg a solid addition to round out the builder.

Final Match Prediction

Chesterfield 3-1 Port Vale. Cook’s side are purring right now and even with a rotated lineup they have more than enough to handle a Port Vale team that is threadbare and low on morale. The Spireites getting a fourth straight win here feels very much like the logical outcome.

Vale might grab one late on, but this should be a comfortable night’s work for the home side at the SMH Group Stadium. Chesterfield are growing into a genuine promotion threat in League Two, and this Trophy run is building real momentum and belief through the squad.

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