Deveronvale picked up another three points on Saturday against struggling Speysiders Rothes, who hadn't won a league match at Banff for over thirteen years and only managed to test Ross Bremner on two occasions throughout the ninety minutes.
Vale move up to second in the table, five points adrift of leaders Fraserburgh, following their victory but with only three league games remaining I'm afraid it's too little too late for Gregg Carrol's side and a respectable second or third place is the best they can now hope for now with the League Cup the only remaining chance of silverware for the reigning league champions.
The outcome was a comfortable victory in the end for the home side with two goals in the first half courtesy of Mike McKenzie & Mark Chisholm and once Gordon Farmer had notched his first goal for his new club the points were well and truly wrapped up. Jamie watt completed the scoring with a close range finish for his fifth since re-signing for the Banff club.

Gregg Carrol made one enforced change to the side who had won at Fort William, Stuart Gray regaining his right-back berth at the expense of the suspended Darren McAllister and with Robbie Brown still suspended Carrol brought local youngsters Paul Munro and Grant Noble to make up the numbers on the bench.
The visitors, kitted out in a Black away strip (with white flashings), were forced onto he back foot from the offset and a neat move involving McKenzie & Chisholm resulted in Vale winning an early corner but Stephen's driven cross was easily picked out by Darren Strong in the Rothes goal.
The visiting keeper found himself picking the ball out of the net on Vale's next attack when Mike McKENZIE waltzed past his marker before firing a low drive past Strong and into the bottom corner from just inside the penalty box to put his side one-up.
Stuart Gray had a contender for miss of the season minutes later when he somehow side-footed past the upright from 5-yards out after a brilliant piece of play from McKenzie had set up the chance for the young defender who to be fair had started the move deep inside his own half before sprinting into the opposing box.
The Speysider's goal had a real let off on the quarter hour mark when Strong did well to parry a fierce McKenzie drive, which broke clear to Watt who in turn fed Chisholm 4-yards from goal but the powerful midfielder failed to turn the ball home under pressure from Esson before Watt had an effort blocked from close range.
The game went into a kind of lull for a ten minute spell before Vale doubled their advantage courtesy of Mark CHISHOLM'S twelfth of the season. Paul Urquhart won a 50-50 tackle in the middle of the park before feeding the ball to Mike McKenzie and his pass was perfect for the in-rushing "Chis" who took it in his stride before dispatching into the far corner from 14-yards.
A poor defensive header from Stuart Gray landed straight at the feet of Miller but the Vale defender did well to make up for his error when he was quickly out to block the striker's shot to safety.
Paul Urquhart saw his drilled effort from 20-yards well stopped by the outstretched hand of Strong after good build up play from Barrie Stephen and then skipper Steve Dolan hit the side netting with only Strong to beat although it was from a difficult angle.
Dolan then set up Jamie Watt inside the penalty box but the striker delayed his strike allowing Forbes just enough time to get in a decent block and keep his side in the game.
Chisholm's volley from distance had Strong well beat but the ball fizzed inches past the post and at the other end a timely tackle from Bryan Dlugonski stopped Miller in his tracks as he made good progress into the Vale penalty box.
Bremner just got his fingertips to a deep cross to take the ball off the head of Sim as Rothes showed that they weren't beaten just yet.
Another piece of magic from Mike McKenzie saw the Vale talisman take on and beat two defenders at the corner flag before warming Strong's hands with a fierce angled drive which the keeper held at the second attempt, in what proved to be the last piece of action of the first forty-five.

Gordon Farmer made his home debut for Vale when he replaced Barrie Stephen at the beginning of the second half.
Steve Dolan was forced to act as last man to clear a dangerous raid from the visitors after Sim had broken clear of the central pairing of Dlugonski & Pressley and then Ross Bremner saved well from Bain, who had sneaked in at the far post ahead of Dolan only to be denied by the big keeper.
At the other end Jamie Watt teed up a decent opportunity for Mark Chisholm at the edge of the area but he screwed his effort way off target.
Watt was next to pass up a decent chance for the home side when he blazed over the top from well inside the penalty box following some more inspiration from the tireless Mike McKenzie who this time had whipped in a wicked cross from the right.
The visitors were starting to show a little more fight as the second period raged on but it was all over for them when home debutant Gordon FARMER fired home a third for the Banffers after picking up a through ball and drilling it low across Strong and into the bottom corner from 10-yards.
The visitors won a freekick in a dangerous position but Smith's wind-assisted effort failed to beat the defensive wall and the opportunity was gone.
Great play from Farmer out on the left flank nearly provided a fourth for the home side but Jamie Watt just failed to get his head on to the enticing cross into the mixer.
Jamie WATT finally scored the goal he had worked so hard for all afternoon when he took a McKenzie pass, who had worked a neat one-two with Urquhart, inside the Rothes box before smashing it home under the body of the helpless Strong.
Paul Munro replaced Terry Kidd with fifteen minutes remaining and put on a confident display in his first run out for his home-town team looking reassured and composed at all times and will surely be one for Gregg Carrol's side in the not too distant future.
Gordon Farmer was next to blaze over when well placed after another terrific piece of wing play from sponsor's man-of-the-match Mike McKenzie.
In the final minutes Mark Chisholm was just beaten to another centre from McKenzie, who will be sorely missed next Saturday as he serves a one-match suspension following a culmination of disciplinary points when Vale travel to Harlaw Park, Inverurie

Another three points picked up which keeps the decent run going was how boss Gregg Carrol reflected on his team's afternoon's work.
"It was another encouraging performance and we're starting to believe in ourselves again, something which was sadly missing a few weeks back. It's another victory too and keeps us going in the right direction especially with the League Cup campaign due to kick off in two weeks time", said Carrol.
"The way today's game panned out also gave me an opportunity to give a couple of boys like young Munro and Farmer a run and they showed what they can, which is great news for the future of the club and for the players mentioned".
"Rothes can be a stuffy side to break down but getting the early goal always settles you down and allows you that little cushion to play with and although the game was still in the boiling pot at two-nil I still felt we would create a few more chances which fortunately we did and converted so I'm reasonably happy with the points and in the manner in which we won the game", added Carrol.

Vale:
Bremner, Dolan (Cpt.), Gray, Chisholm, Dlugonski, Pressley, B. Stephen (Farmer 46), Kidd (Munro 76), McKenzie, Watt, Urquhart
Subs not used: - Sharp, Noble, Phimister (GK)


Rothes:
Strong, Shortreed, Forbes, Esson, G. Bain, MacRae (Hamilton 66), M. Bain, Miller (Ord 74), Sim, Keith (Cameron 66)


Referee: J.Hasson