Rovers need to be valiant against Vale...

So Tuesday night sees us take on Port Vale at The Mem, looking to get back to winning ways following our narrow defeat against Burton Albion on Saturday. Vale come in to the game after a crushing 4-0 home defeat to Morecambe, so confidence could well be low among the visiting players, who include former Rovers youngsters Sean Rigg and Lewis Haldane, who were both members of our 2007 promotion winning squad.

Haldane has been out injured recently and won't feature, but Rigg, who has performed well for the Valiants so far this campaign, will hope to prove a point against his former employers by scoring a decisive goal in an away victory. It cannot be argued that Riggy looked a decent prospect when he emerged through the club's youth system, netting goals away at Macclesfield and Lincoln (in the Play-Offs) during our exciting escape from the basement division just over 4 years ago. He became slightly stale though and it was best for all concerned that he moved on to progress his career, something he looks to do with Port Vale. I wish Riggy well in his future football career. Well, when he's not playing against us!

Lewis Haldane on the other hand was more influential than Sean prior to his leaving, having broken through in to the first team in 2002-2003. He scored a few goals and shone in some games, however there were serious question marks over his end product and lack of clinical shooting when in the box. He signed a bumper new contract with us during the 2007 promotion season following dazzling displays against Doncaster Rovers in the Johnstones Paint Trophy Final and Bury in a League Two game, fighting off reported interest from Leeds United. He stuttered though in League One and didn't look anything like as exciting against better opposition and after talks with the management, he finally left the club. He sustained terrible poisoning after being bitten by a bug in 2010 pre-season training which left him in a serious condition in hospital. He has been recovering well since then and hopes, following niggling injuries, to return to the Vale said shortly. Like Sean, I wish Lewis all the best in the future.

In terms of Rovers preparation for the game, manager Paul Buckle has said there may be a few changes to the personnel, but not the system following his review of the game on Saturday. Bucks seems confident we aren't too far away from being a major force in this division, and there are signs that if we become more ruthless, we can beat any side we come up against. He also hopes to add to his squad over the coming week, but it looks likely any business will be done after the game tomorrow evening. One move which may well be completed is the extending of Oliver Norburn's loan move from Leicester City, who made an impressive second outing for Rovers at the weekend. Bucks rates the young midfield man and labels him a 'great prospect for us'. Fingers crossed we can get something sorted on that front and that new additions will follow soon.

It'll be an incredibly difficult game tomorrow evening, but interestingly, all 3 of our home wins this season have been under the floodlights on a Tuesday evening. Hopefully that's a good omen!

Come on you blues.