Deveronvale lost their second cup final of the campaign at Harlaw Park in Saturday's epic last match of the season but to their credit ended up on the losing side for only the fifth time over the piece and in the end came very close to snatching something out of what had looked a lost cause when they trailed eventual winners Keith, at one point by three goals.
Unfortunately for the Banff side it also meant that they had came runners-up in the League Cup for the third year running although only a penalty save from Keith's Andy Shearer prevented the game going into extra time and possibly onto penalty kicks. Full credit to the Vale players for not giving up the ghost and although Ian Murray was both saint and sinner you can't be too hard on the wee man who has contributed so much over the last, highly exciting and entertaining, nine months.

Vale had an unchanged side from last Saturday's win over Huntly while Keith manager Martin Allan elected for Andy Shearer in lieu of Ivor Pirie between the sticks for the Maroons.
The kick-off was delayed for a good five minutes to allow the large crowd to enter the ground and once the teams had met the presentation party things eventually got underway.
Keith kicked off down the Harlaw slope dawning their white away kit and forced an early corner, but Robertson, who had stolen in at the back post, failed to test Speirs with his downward header. Chisholm's great leap at the other end picked out McKenzie on the edge of the Maroons' penalty box but his long-ranger also failed to test Keith keeper, Shearer.
Murray's chip to the far post failed to find either the net or the waiting Chisholm allowing Niddrie the opportunity to clear. Cadger had a decent chance to open the scoring for Keith after only 12 minutes but he was literally inches away from connecting with Nicol's centre, much to the relief of Bryan Dlugonski who had given the ball away rather cheaply just prior to the opening.
Then, as Vale broke upfield Matty Kinghorn found himself in the unusual position of deep inside the Keith penalty box but he rather disappointingly skied the ball over the top when he had plenty time to take at least another touch. Brown had another decent chance for the Banffers when referee MacDonald played good advantage after Mike McKenzie had been taken from behind but the flame-haired midfielder failed to keep his drive down and it also flew over the top. Keith showed Vale the way to goal minutes later when Robertson stabbed the ball high past Speirs at the second attempt after the Vale defence failed to clear a bread and butter Stephen corner from the left.
Worse was to follow for the Banffers two minutes later when Darren Still took a Nicol pass in his stride before dispatching it high past the helpless Speirs from 16 yards with Vale's defence well and truly stretched.
A great saving tackle from Kinghorn inside the six-yard box kept his side in the tie as Nicol looked to finish off another sweeping Keith attack. Kenny McKenzie was then rather fortunate to escape severe punishment from referee MacDonald when he took a blatant kick at Murray off the ball and then moments later, just to sum-up Vale's first forty-five, Murray was yellow carded for words to the stand-side linesman about another decision which Vale felt didn't go their way. Just on half-time Speirs had to look alert as Still carved out a half chance for Nicol but the Vale number one got down quickly to block at the expense of a fruitless corner kick.

Vale had the stiff breeze at their backs as they kicked off the second period but it was Keith who almost scored early on when Still forced Speirs into a fine one-handed save from his angled shot from the edge of the area. On the Maroons' next attack Still hit the Vale crossbar following a scramble inside the six-yard box but the Banffer's survived and somehow managed to clear the danger.
Chisholm's weak header carried little threat to Shearer's goal before Kinghorn made good ground inside the Keith penalty box only to slice his cutback the wrong side of goal. Vale won their first corner ten minutes into the second half and McAllister's centre was only partially cleared to Murray but his shot on his weaker left foot was also wide of the target. The game looked all over for the Banff side on the hour mark when Keith were awarded a soft freekick against Steve Dolan for allegedly handling whilst under pressure from Robertson and as the resultant set-piece came into the box Niddrie's header was only parried by Speirs allowing the big central defender a second bite and he knocked the rebound home from close range.
Chisholm was forced into clearing inside his own penalty box following Nicol knock-down and then at the other end the Vale midfielder headed just over the top, as the game started to open up. Murray was unlucky to see his shot on the turn well saved by Shearer and then the pint-sized striker headed a decent chance wide following a well-struck inswinging corner from Mike McKenzie. MURRAY eventually got his name on the score sheet when he planted a free kick past Shearer from 20-yards beating the keeper all-ends-up with a delightfully weighted chip. But football's a funny old game and amazingly that man MURRAY pulled another goal back for the Banffers three minutes later when he nipped in to beat Shearer to a Taylor centre to set up a grandstand finish.
It was all Vale for the remainder of the match with Keith camped well inside their own half. Substitute Barrie Stephen won another freekick in a dangerous position but this time McKenzie failed to get the ball past the Keith defensive wall. Murray, one goal away from fifty for the season, hit the upright with a close range header before Levi Stephen saw his looping header expertly tipped over the top by Shearer. Taylor, who had been a handful for the Keith defence since replacing McAllister, won a dramatic penalty kick with less than five minutes of the match remaining but Ian Murray, who had missed a spot kick only the week before, saw his effort well saved by Shearer, much to disappointment of the huge Vale contingent inside Harlaw Park. The last chance of the game fell to Mike McKenzie but again the striker failed to get the ball beyond the defensive wall following another free kick 25-yards out.
Just to compound a disappointing afternoon for the League Champions, fastidious referee Scott MacDonald, who had felt the wrath of the Vale fans for most of the afternoon for some poor decisions against them, needlessly sent off Robbie Brown when he showed the tough tackling midfielder a second yellow for dissent.

Vale:
Speirs, #Dolan, Kinghorn, Chisholm (B. Stephen 68), Dlugonski, #Anderson, McAllister (Taylor 63), ##Brown, McKenzie, #Murray, #L. Stephen Subs not used: Kidd, Montgomery, Urquhart

Keith:
Shearer, Brown, King, Robertson, McKenzie, #Niddrie, Still, Calder, Cadger (Reid 79), Nicol, Stephen Subs not used: Watt, Morrison, Donaldson, Pirie (GK)
Referee: S. MacDonald

Gregg Carrol was gracious in defeat and after congratulating winners Keith he could only praise his players for a great second half effort as well as a great season. He said "We gave ourselves a mountain to climb at three-nil but fought hard to get back to three-three". "All credit to the lads for making a real go of it, it just shows what character we have here at Princess Royal but we're all now looking forward to a well deserved break, but we'll be back!" added Carrol.