It was a relatively short dash down the M6 and A500 to Burslem to face the Valiants at Vale Park in our last friendly match before the season starts in earnest at Leyton Orient next weekend.

It is believed the match was arranged as part of the deal that brought Will Forrester to Bolton but unfortunately for him, he missed out due to injury.

Vale Park has been the scene of many an epic battle between the clubs, particularly in the 1970s and in more recent times, when we have acquired a reputation for being the team that has relegated them to League Two. Port Vale have swapped the home and away ends, so visiting fans are now in the Bycars Stand, and Wanderers fans were buoyed up with the news of our latest signing, Szarbolcs Schön the previous day - and we were even more delighted when it was announced he was straight in the team.

Ian Evatt started with his strongest available team, giving us an idea of the XI that might start at Orient. Didn’t we look good? I had hardly finished my chicken balti pie, when Scott Arfield and Josh Dacres-Cogley combined to put it on a plate for Aaron Collins. We continued to dominate, passing them off the park, looking more positive in going forward this season. Young Schön was having a great debut, dominating the left wing-back position. He looked like he had been playing for us for months. Victor Adeboyejo scrambled the second goal before half time and Dion Charles wrapped things up by coolly slotting in the third. Even the multiple substitutions didn’t seem to weaken us.

There were a lot of positives to come out of this match. Three of our strikers got on the scoresheet and Arfield is beginning to show his class and know-how. Schön looks like an exciting addition to the squad with all five signings either playing or on the bench, although Chris Forino didn’t come on.

We look to be in good shape for the season ahead but are in for a long, hard battle. Promotion isn’t won in August but a good start can get us on the way. Potentially, we have other signings in the pipeline and several players to come back from injury.

I’m ready for the new season. Come on you Whites.