Port Vale vs. Swindon Predictions: Robins to fly all the way to Wembley

It's the final play-off second leg on Thursday and the League Two showpiece end of season event will be finalised. Here, Swindon Town bring a narrow 2-1 lead to Vale Park and just need to avoid defeat in the 90 minutes to progress to a Wembley play-off final against either Mansfield or Northampton. We've asked @OddsT3rrier to preview this crucial 2nd leg and provide us with his two best bets. 

Ben Garner has done a superb job at Swindon Town. Back in the summer of 2021 when he was appointed, the club only had seven players on their books. Since then Garner has targeted young players with an effort to rejuvenating the club. It's been a remarkable success with Swindon finishing the season in 6th. They ended the season in superb form and have now won five straight including the first leg match-up. 

Port Vale are the polar opposite, losing four of their last five matches and they badly need to turn that run round here. Anything but a win would see The Robins on their way to Wembley. Vale however, do have an impressive record at home, picking up 39 points in 23 games and will be hopeful of forcing the game into extra time at the very least. 

Both sides have no new fresh injury worries and are likely to start with unchanged XI's.

Our first pick is for Swindon to win or draw in the 90 minutes. I was tempted to go for Swindon to win outright at 5/2 but I'm hedging my bets here due to the magnitude of the fixture. 

Town are in superb form and are chock full of confidence entering this second leg. With Jack Payne pulling the strings and Harry McKirdy on a tear they will be a fearsome prospect for any team in a playoff final. Vale have stuttered into the playoffs and momentum is huge in these kind of occasions. I can't see them beating Swindon over 90 minutes currently, even in front of their home crowd. 

My second pick is based around Swindon's 25-year-old marksman Harry McKirdy. The former Valiant is having the season of his career and is finally turning his talent into tangible rewards. After starting at Aston Villa's academy, McKirdy has flitted around the Football League without ever really finding a club he can call home. That has all changed this year with McKirdy scoring 22 goals in just 33 starts in League Two as well as registering eight assists. 

McKirdy is the sort of player you would love at your club and hate when he's playing against you. He's an irritant... Crewe boss David Artell called McKirdy

one of those nuisance forwards, who gets under the feet of centre-halves.

It must be particularly galling seeing McKirdy thriving for Town when he was at Vale so recently and was barely given a game. 

He has 136 shots and 52 on target this year and it would be a surprise if he doesn't get chances here. I've combined him to score with him to be shown a card. As mentioned before, there's a bit of the devil about him and he's picked up 11 yellows this season - the joint most for the club.  With so much on the line here, there is every chance he may overstep the mark. 

If you are following either bet then good luck and gamble responsibly.