Deveronvale made the long trip north to Wick on Saturday looking to get back to winning ways after Tuesday's defeat in the final of the Hutcheon Services Aberdeenshire Cup final.
Vale have not had an easy time of it at Harmsworth Park since the Caithness club joined the league back in the mid nineties and if last season is anything to go by it was going to be a stern test for the Banff side. There were no changes to the team which lost out in Tuesday's final although Gregg Carrol did bring on transfer listed centre half, Davie Henderson in the second half perhaps with a view to next Saturday's match at Nairn, when Scott Anderson will not be available through suspension.
The match kicked off after a minute's silence which was observed, as it was at all professional football matches throughout the UK for the sad loss of Jessica Chapman & Holly Wells.
Vale won an early corner and following the set piece Thomson, in the Wick goal, smothered on his line as Murray tried to flick the ball past him from close range. The Vale striker then blasted wide after Kinghorn had got to the bye-line and set up the chance.
The visitors were well on top in the early stages and McKenzie was next to try his luck but he also fired wide of the upright from 20 yards. Brown got his head to a McAllister corner but couldn't keep the ball down as it flew over the top. McKenzie's mazy run and one-two with Murray saw the earlier's shot charged down by the Wick defence as they tried desperately to keep their goal intact. Chisholm was next to pass up an opportunity when his first touch let him down as he bore down on the Academy goal.
Vale made an early change with MacRonald replacing McAllister, which also saw Chisholm move over to the right hand side of midfield. McKenzie had another effort go wide of the target to sum up the visitor's shooting in first half.
Brown was stretchered off just before the break when the red haired midfielder took a heavy knock during a 50-50 challenge with Sinclair. As a precaution Brown was taken to the local hospital for an x-ray on his damaged ankle.

The half-time entertainment was provided by four young "chair-leaders" in Wick Academy colours and this was perhaps the tonic the visitors needed as they got off to a perfect start to the second period. MacRonald's high cross was punched clear by Thomson but only as far as Levi STEPHEN and the midfielder rifled the ball back past the keeper and into the net from 18 yards. Thomson made amends for his earlier mistake minutes later with a fine block off the unmarked MacRonald, who had been picked out by Kinghorn's deep cross to the back post. Chisholm headed over off a driven Stephen corner before the home side created their first and only chance of the match. However Speirs was quickly off his line to save at the feet of MacDonald as the striker looked to equalise. Vale went two up when McKenzie threaded a pass through the Academy back line to find MACRONALD who made no mistake, calmly slipping the ball under Thomson with the home defence posted missing. Four minutes later and the points were sewn up by the visitors when Mark CHISHOLM scored his fourth goal of the season. A neat move involving Stephen and Murray opened up the Academy defence and the midfielder did the rest to put Vale on 'easy street'. Murray had an effort cleared in the box by what looked like the hand of Davidson but referee Conroy claimed it was accidental and play continued. Thomson denied Murray with a fine stop as the cheeky striker cut inside the home defence and looked to score. McKenzie then danced past several defenders before hitting the foot of the post when really only a goal would have been worthy of the striker's close skill and crafty footwork. Thomson did well to block Pressley's strike from 16 yards as Vale looked for a fourth. Murray then saw Thomson through himself at his close ranger to divert the ball away for a corner. It was becoming the Thomson show when he again thwarted the Vale strike force with a fine save at the feet of McKenzie.
MURRAY completed the scoring when he tapped the ball over the line after substitute Davie Henderson had played the ball across the face of goal following a Vale corner, which the home side failed to clear.