Wednesday 7:45pm

Port Vale vs Bradford City is the pick of the midweek round and arguably the most intriguing rescheduled fixture of them all. Originally a December festive clash between two clubs with different ambitions, the three-month delay has turned it into a genuine six-pointer with entirely new stakes — league-bottom Vale, cup giant-killers supreme, hosting a Bradford side chasing automatic promotion but with five consecutive away defeats weighing heavily. Can Vale channel their Wembley-bound euphoria into a desperately needed league survival win, or will Bradford’s quality finally cut through their travel misery?

Bradford City’s forward line will be central to everything in this game, and their key attacking threat will be the one Port Vale’s makeshift defence fears most. With Bradford desperate to end their five-game away losing streak on a big occasion, the pressure is on their forwards to deliver where it has recently mattered most on the road. A strong performance here could unlock this tie and quieten questions about Bradford’s travel record at exactly the right moment of the season.

BTP Verdict

Port Vale’s cup heroics have generated enormous momentum and a win would be one of the results of the League One season, but Bradford’s quality in the top four should ultimately prove too much — if they can shake off their away-day demons. Expect a tense, edgy affair with Vale giving everything, but the Bantams to edge it with a goal to spare.

The Opposition: Stevenage are one of the division’s most compelling stories right now — unbeaten at home in 16 games and sitting just one win from the play-off places. Their Lamex Stadium has become a genuinely difficult fortress to visit, and they arrive into this game having built steadily since January while Orient have been falling away. Physically direct, well-organised and roared on by a crowd that knows what is at stake, they will be a formidable obstacle.

What We Think: Six defeats in eight is a brutal run of form for Orient and the Lamex is about the worst place they could travel to right now. Stevenage’s home unbeaten record, their play-off hunger, and Orient’s own crisis of confidence all point firmly toward a home win. A point would be a genuine overachievement; Orient fans will be hoping their side can at least show some fight before the survival battle intensifies further.

Dominic Ballard has been one of Orient’s brightest sparks during a difficult run of form and will need to be the focal point of their attack if the O’s are to take anything from the Lamex. His ability to hold up play and bring others into the game on the counter-attack could be Orient’s best route to goal on a tough night in Hertfordshire.