Preview: Rocester Hosts Port Vale CC in Staffordshire Senior Cup Clash

ROCESTER, England (Interstat) — Non-league sides Rocester and Port Vale CC will meet in the ENG Staffordshire Senior Cup on Sunday, January 11, 2026, at Hillsfield in a matchup featuring teams with vastly different recent competitive histories.

The hosts, Rocester, enter the fixture having not played a recorded competitive match in over three years. Their last result was a 4-2 home victory over Wolverhampton Casuals on Tuesday, December 6, 2022. The extended layoff presents a significant unknown regarding their current form and squad composition.

Port Vale CC, the visiting side, carries the momentum—and the sting—of a more recent outing, albeit a heavy defeat. They fell 5-0 at Leek Town on Tuesday, January 21, 2025. Despite that result, statistical models favor the visitors. The Interstat ELO system projects Port Vale CC with a 61.90 percent probability to win the contest.

However, the Interstat game simulator predicts a tightly contested affair, forecasting a 2-2 draw after regulation. This suggests that while Port Vale CC may be favored on paper, Rocester’s home pitch advantage and potential renewed vigor could prove decisive.

The match is organized under the Staffordshire Senior Cup, a historic county competition that often pits professional club youth sides against established non-league teams. Port Vale CC, representing the youth academy of EFL club Port Vale, will look to leverage its structured development program against Rocester’s more localized setup.

All eyes will be on Rocester’s ability to shake off the rust of a prolonged competitive absence. For Port Vale CC, the focus will be on rebounding from their five-goal defeat from nearly a year prior and converting their statistical favoritism into a result on the pitch.

Kickoff is scheduled for Sunday at Hillsfield in Rocester, Staffordshire. The winner will advance in the Staffordshire Senior Cup tournament.