Big Stags connections will give Port Vale extra incentive in Wembley final believes Mansfield Town boss Nigel Clough

Ex-Stags midfield star and local lad Darrell Clarke is Vale's manager, former Stags boss David Flitcroft is director of football and former Mansfield players Mal Benning, Aidan Stone and Harry Charsley are in their ranks.

“It is an extra incentive – certainly for the players,” said Clough.

“Also, Darrell is a Mansfield lad and David was here not so long ago.

“But, like us, I think they will want to do it just for their own club.

“They will want to get into League One for Port Vale's sake more than anything else.

“They have three ex-players we've had in Aidan Stone, Harry Charsley and Mal Benning.

“They've done very well for them as we would have expected.

“We improved our squad and they were surplus.

“Mal said he was ready for a fresh challenge, we'd brought fresh goalkeepers in for Stoney and Harry Charsley just wanted to go and play regular football that we couldn't offer him as we had a very strong midfield area, so he couldn't get a regular game.

“But we will be shaking hands with all three of them. They have remained friends with players here at the club so there is certainly no animosity between us.”

Clough has been impressed by the job done at Vale Park by Clarke, who has had time off recently for a major personal bereavement.

“Port Vale brought in a lot of players,” said Clough

“I think Darrell recognised last season they needed a big turnaround of players. We beat them on the last day of the season.

“They have brought a lot in, but what I think he has done brilliantly is he has gelled them very quickly. They have played one or two different formations and are a very formidable side.

“I think Vale will take similar numbers of fans to us, so for a League Two play-off final it will be a brilliant occasion with 50,000 or so there. It will be a good crowd for our level with a lot of noise.”

He added: “We haven't beaten them this season, though we played incredibly well at home and got a 1-1 draw. We dominated the game and missed a penalty but couldn't get that winning goal.

“Then we got 1-0 ahead in the game away from home but made a couple of errors that cost us and we ended up losing 3-1.

“So we know how tough it is going to beat them. Players like Ben Garrity and James Wilson can hurt you at any time in the game.

“But I think they are very, very similar to us. They've done incredibly well to get to Wembley.

“We are probably two teams not so fancied at the start of the season for the play-off final.

“Darrell has had a tough time. He is a friend, so it's lovely for him to get there as well.”