Vale swapped places with visitors Inverurie Locos at the top of the league table on Saturday thanks to a brace a-piece from strikers Ian Murray and Mike McKenzie as the Banff side eventually ran out easy winners in the billed Highland League 'match of the day'.
The large crowd inside Princess Royal Park saw the home side more or less dominate proceedings from start to finish but it took them seventy-five minutes to make sure of the points in a match played in good spirits and in ideal conditions. With both Bryan Dlugonski and Nigel Montgomery suspended for the encounter Ryan Pressley slotted comfortably into the heart of the Vale defence alongside Scott Anderson. Matty Kinghorn was also reinstated to the starting line-up after being dropped for last Saturday's visit to Inverness. The visitors were without the influential Tommy Wilson and Andy Walker but welcomed George Reid back into their starting eleven.

Vale kicked off and won an early corner but Brown couldn't direct his header on target following McAllister's in-swinger from the right.
The home side continued their early pressure with McKenzie testing Christie with a grounder, which the keeper saved comfortably.
Christie was quick off his line to beat McKenzie to a McAllister through ball before the visitors shocked Vale with an early goal.
On Locos' first flurry upfield the makeshift defence failed to completely clear their lines and George REID capitalised by steering a header past Speirs and into the net at the keeper's right-hand post from 10 yards. This sent the large visiting support, who were dawning 'Spotty Bags' on their heads, and led by a solo drummer into raptures.
McKenzie tried to respond for the homesters but his free kick flew wide of the target. A quickly taken set-piece found McAllister scampering down the right but his low cross was cut-out by Young.
A piece of quick thinking from Murray almost paid off for the home side when he spotted Christie off his line and attempted a lob from 30 yards. However the keeper got back in the nick of time to save Murray's cheeky chip from under his own crossbar. Vale's pressure paid off after twenty-five minutes when top scorer Ian MURRAY notched his 26th goal of the season by heading past Christie off a McAllister pinpoint cross from close range.
Christie then pulled off a fine save to deny McKenzie, as the striker broke clear of the Locos defence and Vale pressed for second.
Murray's deft flick beat Christie but also drifted just wide of the far post following another raid down the right by Darren McAllister.
At the other end Vale had a let off when McWilliam looked to have regained the lead for the visitors but the far-side linesman had his flag raised for a infringement on keeper Fraser Speirs.
Locos' goal had an amazing escape as half time approached, firstly Christie pulled off a stunning save from Chisholm's close range volley before the keeper deflected Dolan's net bound drive over the top as the defender bore down on goal looking for his first goal of the campaign.

Kinghorn broke into the Locos box but his finish lacked the power to trouble Christie as Vale started the second period the same way they had finished the first.
Pressley did well to clear the danger for a corner as Locos broke quickly and from the resultant set piece Speirs did well to hold McKay's volley with a ruck of players looking for any slip from the Vale Number One.
Anderson and McKenzie were yellow carded in quick succession as the game started to open up. Reid's free kick flew wide of Speir's right-hand post and at the other end McAllister headed over following a Chisholm centre.
Christie saved bravely at the feet of Murray before McKenzie had the ball in the net only for it to chalked off for offside. Locos came into the game and Dolan did brilliantly to clear the ball off his own goal line as Ross looked to punish some poor marking in the Vale box. This turned out to be a big turning point in the game because literally seconds later the home side were in front.
A sweeping move saw Kinghorn pick out MCKENZIE just inside the box and the striker turned his marker beautifully before drilling an unstoppable shot past Christie from 14 yards.
Before the visitors had a chance to respond the Banffers had wrapped up the points. MURRAY ran onto a long clearance and sent a sweet finish over Christie's head from just inside the 18-yard box.
Murray had a similar chance minutes later but this time the keeper saved his rather tame effort. Dolan made a darting run into the Locos' box only to be denied again by Christie who was having a fine game for the visitors between the sticks. On the stroke of full time Mike MCKENZIE capped a fine individual performance, which earned him the sponsors 'man of the match' award, when he completed the scoring with a fierce strike with the outside of his boot from 16 yards.

Vale:
Speirs, Dolan, Kinghorn, Chisholm, Pressley, Dlugonski, Anderson , McAllister (B. Stephen 77), L. Stephen, McKenzie, Murray (Rae 90), Brown Subs not used: Urquhart, McLeay & Allan
Locos:
Christie, Fraser, Bisset, Baxter, Anderson, Young, Ross, McWilliam, G. Reid, N. Reid, McKay Subs: Davidson, Ness, Hedley, McDonald & Mess