The large crowd inside Harlaw Park, especially the substantial Vale contingent, thought that the sixty-five year wait was well and truly over at about quarter past four on Saturday afternoon. At that point the Banffers were two goals to the good over hosts Inverurie Locos and Cove Rangers were also two-up at second placed and only remaining challengers Keith. However about ten minutes later it wasn't quite so clean cut after the home side had managed to square the match with two goals inside the same amount of minutes and mar the celebrations, which were just about to begin. In the end a point was all champions elect Deveronvale could muster leaving them still short of one more point to secure their first ever Highland League crown.
It was all going to plan up until that point for the visitors with Ritchie Taylor adding to his goal last week with a well guided header and Robbie Brown capping a fine performance in the heart of the Vale midfield with a second for the Banff side eleven minutes after the interval. But with the public announcer loudly confirming the latest score at Keith the visitors took their foot off the peddle and allowed Locos the opportunity to steal a point through a Ross strike and a bizarre own goal by the unfortunate Robbie Brown.

The visitors kicked off up the Harlaw slope dawning their Sky Blue away kit but failed to get a grip of the match early on as Locos pressed and harried on the fiery surface leading to mistakes and punted balls being the order of day. The first real chance of the match fell to Mark Chisholm who found himself through on Mellough chasing a Stephen through ball but the keeper stood up well to save with his legs. McKay's snap shot was easily saved by Thompson before Davidson fired high over from distance as Locos sent out early warnings that they were going to make a game of it.
Mike McKenzie pulled up as he chased a loose ball into the Locos penalty box and had to leave the field clutching his ankle in real pain. Vale played on for a good ten minutes before deciding to replace the in-form striker with Barrie Stephen. Brown did well to break up play but his early pass found Taylor in an offside position. ,
Persistence from Levi Stephen won Vale their second corner kick of the contest but Brown, under no pressure, headed over from 10-yards following McAllister's flag kick. Dolan' mazy run down the left ended with a deep cross to the far post but McAllister's great leap saw him fail to connect with the enticing ball. Mellough pulled off a fabulous one-handed save to deny Chisholm and keep the score-line temporarily blank. Vale thought they had a penalty kick on the half-hour mark for hand ball inside the area but referee Wright seemed to change his mind after consultation with the stand-side linesman and gave a free kick to the home side for offside. The visitors took the lead three minutes later however when Ritchie TAYLOR steered a header past Mellough after being picked out by Barrie Stephen's pinpoint cross 6-yards from goal.
Dolan's timely header prevented Ross with a free run-in on goal and at the other end Barrie Stephen fired straight at Mellough when well positioned. Brown's tackle at the edge of the area saw the ball break kindly for the midfielder but his threaded pass found Stephen offside much to the disappointment of the noisy "valley crew". Deep into injury time a cross-come shot from Barrie Stephen rolled along the Locos crossbar but with Mellough struggling Reid managed to clear the danger at the back stick

Brown had to slice clear inside his own six-yard box as the home side started the second period on the ascendancy. Matty Kinghorn was next to mop-up a dangerous situation when he hacked clear following a Locos corner, which was only partially cleared by Thompson.
Taylor was very unfortunate to see his effort from inside the penalty box come back off the foot of the post as news filtered through that Cove had taken the lead at Keith.
McAllister then saw his net bound drive brilliantly tipped over by Mellough who was having a fine game between the sticks of the home goal. Chisholm found the target again with a back post header but again Mellough was there to save low at his right-hand post. Vale's onslaught finally paid off after fifty-six minutes when Robbie BROWN thumped the ball home from close range after chesting down a headed flick-on from Chisholm before dispatching it past Mellough.
The news that Cove were two-up should have been enough to see Vale go on and lift the championship but the 'fat lady had not sung' and more drama was about to unfold.

Ross was allowed far too much space at the edge of Vale's penalty box and the young striker made them pay when he dispatched a fierce half-volley past the static Thompson to give the home side a glimmer of hope. Worse was to follow for the nervy looking visitors minutes later when Barry Thompson seemed to either loose total track of the ball or it took a nasty bobble on the bumpy dry surface but anyhow a Brown pass back was completely missed by the boot of the big keeper and rolled agonisingly into the back of the net.
Taylor then sliced wide following a good piece of play by Brown, as Vale tried to restore their advantage. A poor clearance by Kinghorn fell to the feet of substitute George Reid but his effort bounced inches wide of Thompson's left-had upright. Levi Stephen then picked out midfield partner Robbie Brown in behind the Locos defence but the inspired Mellough was quick off his line to foil Vale yet again. Sponsor's man-of-the-match Tommy Wilson had an effort easily saved by Thompson and at the other end Kinghorn sliced well wide as he broke into the Locos' 18-yard box. Time eventually ran out on the visitors as they tried in vain to secure the points required to seal the championship which leaves them requiring one point from remaining last three fixtures, unless of course Keith and Cove slip up from now until the end of the campaign.

Vale:
Thompson, Dolan, Kinghorn, Chisholm (Pressley 90), Dlugonski, Anderson, McAllister, Brown, McKenzie (B Stephen 16), Taylor, L. Stephen
Subs not used: Montgomery, Rae, Speirs
Locos:
Mellough, Reid, #Bisset, #Wilson, #Mess, Park, Davidson (G. Reid 62), Baxter (Fraser 82), Ross, McKay, McWilliam (Graham 62)
Subs not used: McLeod, Christie
Referee: R. Wright

A disappointed Gregg Carrol refused to blame his keeper for the error, which led to the Locos equaliser and instead praised his players for their efforts under difficult circumstances. "All credit to Locos as they made us work really hard for our point although at two-up I thought we should have gone on to win the match".
On the McKenzie injury Carrol commented, "Michael has twisted his ankle and we'll just need to wait and see how it goes over the next few days but we do have Ian Murray available again next Saturday after his two game suspension".