Mickleover sign Port Vale youngster on loan

GARETH Holmes has added teenage forward Andrew Buah on loan for a month from League Two side Port Vale.

Buah previously spent time on loan at Northern Premier League Division One West clubs Newcastle Town and Congleton Town.

He did not feature for the Castle during his two-month loan spell last season due to an injury but he made three appearances for the Bears in a loan spell in September.

Before his loan spells, Buah featured for Vale’s first team in an EFL Trophy match against Newcastle U21s as a substitute last year.

The 18-year-old will now join up with the Northern Premier League Premier Division side for their next game on New Year’s Day away to Lancaster City.

In a club statement, Sports boss Holmes said: “Andrew is an exciting young player and after speaking to Darren Moore about him, we look forward to having him in the squad for the next month, and would like to thank Port Vale for that.”

Mickleover sits in 21st place in the league table, second from bottom, as their last game against Ashton United was called off on Boxing Day.

Thick fog brought the game to a premature end after Mickleover were 3-0 down and on course for another defeat.

The team from Derbyshire are on a run of four straight defeats in the league with their last victory in the NPL Premier Division coming against league leaders Macclesfield at home.

Five points separate Mickleover from Prescot Cables in 18th – one place above the relegation zone.

Holmes will be hoping new signing Buah can add some quality to his attacking ranks in January in their bid to climb out of the relegation places.

The Valiants boss Moore previously said that he “possesses all of the raw attributes” to become a valuable squad player in the future after he signed a one-year professional contract in July 2024.