THERE must be something in the water when they get out of Burslem.

Look at the Jekyll and Hyde manner of Port Vale’s results this season.

At home, they are one of the best in the business in League Two.

Unbeaten at Vale Park, John Askey’s side have collected 15 points from seven games.

But it’s a different story once they hit the road out of Stoke.

Seven away trips have produced just three draws – in fact Vale have won only once on their travels since Askey succeeded former Halifax boss Neil Aspin as manager at the start of February.

Not that Gary Bowyer is likely to be sucked in by the statistics.

Vale should have won in away draws at Salford and Leyton Orient and any team with Tom Pope in the attacking ranks will keep defenders on their toes.

But the travel sickness is not a short-term dilemma.

Since Micky Adams left the club five years ago, five managers have claimed just 24 away wins between them.

It is a problem that continues to hold back a club optimistically eyeing a crack at the play-offs this season after two years battling against the drop.

They currently sit 16th, but only three points off Swindon in seventh, after a frustrating weekend home draw against bottom club Stevenage.

Askey was annoyed by the performance of referee Peter Wright but knows a team who have finished fifth-from-bottom for the previous couple of seasons are a long way from the finished article.

Former Bantams “history maker” Will Atkinson played at right back but is likely to make way for regular defender James Gibbons at Valley Parade.

Striker Richie Bennett, Vale’s top scorer with four, said: “Bradford would be a great place to get our first away win.

“It’s a big club so we’ve got something to go on and prove to everybody that our away form can get better.

“We know that and we’re the only ones that can change it.”