Deveronvale's love affair with the Aberdeenshire Cup continued at Banff on Wednesday evening when they comprehensively defeated neighbours Huntly to earn the right to face Aberdeen in the final of the competition next Tuesday at Inverurie.
Gregg Carrol had the luxury of fielding the same starting eleven for the third game running, the same side which had disposed of Cove Rangers in the last round before defeating Nairn in the league last Saturday.
The game itself started slowly with neither side taking control until McAllister found himself bearing down on Bremner in the Huntly goal after a quickly taken Anderson free kick. However Daz knocked the ball too far in front of himself thus allowing the visiting keeper to narrow the angle and the chance went a-begging.
On the quarter hour McKenzie's deflected drive earned Vale their first corner of the match. McAllister was picked out at the back post from the set piece but Bremner was quickly out to block the effort, taking the ball full-on in the face. Dolan then opened up the play for McKenzie but the latter pulled his shot wide off the target. The home defence had a lucky escape at the other end when the un-marked Stewart shot tamely wide at the back post after Low had found the veteran striker with a driven cross. Speirs had to look lively to save from Thomson after a mistake by Dlugonski and moments later strike partner Stewart's flick was inches from giving the Strathbogie side the lead.
Just after the half-hour the home side sneaked into the lead when a quickly taken free kick caught the visitors 'on the hop'. McKenzie's vision set McAllister away down the right and his low cross to the far stick found the waiting Mark CHISHOLM who made no mistake from 8 yards. Kinghorn was called on to clear from under his own cross bar as Huntly tried to hit back.
Two minutes from the interval Ian MURRAY made it two nil to the Banffers when he smashed the ball high past the helpless Bremner with the Huntly defence static and looking for a flag from the stand-side linesman.

Brown was unlucky not to connect as he lunged at a Dolan cross right in front of goal but only succeeded in knocking the ball over the top as Vale looked to kill off the tie. MURRAY virtually put Vale into the final when he latched onto a long Speirs kick-out and neatly lobbed the ball over the stranded Bremner from the edge of the penalty box to score his sixth goal in three games for the Banffers.
McKenzie forced Bremner in to a fine stop with a pile driver from 25 yards and from the resultant corner kick Brown saw his header well saved again by the busy visiting goalie. Mike McKENZIE scored an early contender for goal of the season with a peach after 64 minutes. The tall striker beat three defenders before feeding Murray at the edge of the penalty area. The unselfish Molby returned the compliment with a delightful pass back into the path of McKenzie and he rifled an unstoppable volley past Bremner from 16 yards.
Substitute Colin MacRonald, up against his former side, almost made it five for the home side but scooped high over from close range after a darting run down the left and into the penalty box. Vale went 'NAP' with another great strike from McKENZIE when he cut-in from the left and unleashed a rasping drive from all of 22 yards which flew past Bremner and in-off the upright. The home side were now in total control and 'sponsors man of the match' Ian Murray should have had his hat-trick but sliced wide of goal after good play by MacRonald on the left set up the chance.
Stephen had Vale's last chance of the match but his delicate chip was inches from making it six.