Jamie Watt’s strike right on half time whistle put an end to a seven-year winless spell at Victoria Park for Deveronvale and in doing so saw them go joint top of the P & J Highland League alongside leaders by two goals Inverurie Locos and early pace setters Fraserburgh.
A typical local derby encounter saw both sides put in plenty of effort and commitment but very little football was played although Vale boss Gregg Carrol wasn’t complaining at full time when the points were in the bag and his side had achieved their sixth league win on the bounce.
Managerless Buckie had Paul Catto sent off in the second period for a wild lunge at the impressive Mark Smith and had another four players cautioned by referee Gary Cheyne who struggled at times to keep the lid on some feisty challenges and personal grievances between the two sets of players.
Prior to kick off a well-observed minutes’ silence was held for former Buckie legend Alex Stewart who played for the Jags during the years1948-62.
Stand in Buckie manager Raymond Cardno started with the same eleven who had picked up an impressive three points at Inverness the previous Saturday while opposite number Gregg Carrol was without defender Robbie Brown who was starting a three match suspension and had Mark Slater and Mark Chisholm still out injured.
Carrol did have Graeme Cadger listed as one of only four substitutes while recent signing from Banks O’ Dee Danny Craib made his debut in a back three alongside Ryan Pressley and skipper Bryan Dlugonski.

Mark Smith saw an early opportunity blocked at the edge of the area and as the home side broke Steve Dolan did just enough to glance the ball off the head off Jamie Shewan after Mike McDonald had made good progress down the left channel.
Mike McKenzie blazed wide from a decent position before Paul Lamberton did well to divert a Mike McKenzie cross out before it could reach the lurking Jamie Watt.
Lamberton then popped up in the opposite penalty box to get on the end of deep corner but his shot lacked the power to trouble Ross Bremner, who saved comfortably.
Paul Urquhart went down heavily at the edge of the Thistle 18-yard box but referee Gary Cheyne waved play on before Donnie Munro headed narrowly over the top following a centre from former Vale winger Franny More.
Steve Dolan’s header was a yard too high to worry Kevin Main in the home goal following Bryan Dlugonski’s free kick.
Mike McKenzie took a knock and was forced off to receive treatment but the blonde haired striker did mange to continue although didn’t seem to be as free running for the remainder of the match and was eventually replaced in the second period by Graeme Cadger.
Angus somewhat smothered a decent opportunity wide following another set-piece before play was held up again this time for debutant Danny Craib who was unfortunately unable to continue and was substituted by Karl Farrimond with Stuart Gray moving into central defence and Farrimond occupying the right wing-back role.
The game continued to be a rather scrappy affair until the lively John Coutts fed strike partner Jamie Shewan in 16-yards from goal but the stand-in striker pulled his effort just wide of Ross Bremner’s right-hand post.
Great ball winning in the middle of the park from Mark Smith set a great chance for Jamie Watt but the pint size striker waited too long and allowed Lamberton to get a block in just as Watt was about to pull the trigger and with only Main to beat.
Munro was correctly yellow carded for late challenge on Smith but mike McKenzie made a hash of the resultant free kick, firing tamelessly wide of main’s right-hand upright.
Vale grabbed an unlikely lead right on the stroke of half time but it was no surprise that Mark Smith was the instigator when he chased down a loose ball before whipping it low into the six-yard box from the right leaving Jamie WATT with the simple task of diverting it past the stranded Kevin Main in what turned out to be the only difference between the two evenly matched sides.

Munro fired an early second half warning to Gregg Carrol’s side when he shot a foot or so past Bremner’s right post before Shewan was the second player to be cautioned for a late challenge on Stuart Gray as attempted to clear upfield.
Shewan should have pulled his side level minutes later when he was presented with a great chance 8 or 9 yards from goal but the unmarked striker placed his header over the top with the goal at his mercy.
Murray did well to beat Watt to a dangerous Farrimond cross before a timely tackle on John Coutts from Ryan Pressley prevented a sure equaliser for the Jags.
Paul Catto was ordered off for a taking a kick at Mark Smith leaving his side with only ten men for the remaining thirty-five minutes as they struggled to get back into the match.
Davidson came within a foot of equalising when he latched onto a set piece from substitute Kevin Souter but much to the delight of the larger travelling support the ball sailed past the far post.
Vale came mighty close to sealing the points when Jamie Watt set up Paul Urquhart inside the penalty box but his well-hit drive cleared Main’s crossbar when he really should have at least worked the Buckie number one.
A neat move involving Farrimond and Smith set up another great chance for the visitors and indeed Jamie Watt but his volley was well stopped by Main as Vale started to believe they could take all three points from their, fruitless for so many years, hunting ground.
Ross Bremner came to Vale’s rescue with a good instinctive save after substitute Stewart had broken clear of Steve Dolan on the right touchline and darted into the Vale box only to find “Brems” in his way of pulling his side level.
With two minutes of stoppage time played Kevin Main pulled off the save of the game to deny Jamie Watt again this time diving low to his right to turn Watt’s goalbound effort away to safety.
Karl Farrimond blasted an effort over the top as the full time whistle sounded which saw Vale go joint top of the league for the first time in over a year.

Gregg Carrol was obviously happy to pick up his first three points at Victoria Park when he said, “I thought we just about edged it over the piece and although Buckie put us under a fair bit of pressure during the second period our work ethic and effort pulled us through even though there were some tired legs out there. I thought we looked slightly tentative during the first half hour of the game but then settled down and if anything at all got stronger as the ninety minutes wore on and may even have had another goal or two near the end”. On the injury front Carrol said, “It was good to give Graeme Cadger a run although he’s far from match fit but I doubt if the two Marks (Chisholm & Slater) will be ready to return next Saturday. New boy Danny Craib had to leave the field with a bad cut to the eye but should be ok for next week and obviously “Brooner” (Robbie Brown) will be missing the next two games through suspension”.

Vale:
Bremner, Dolan, Gray, Craib (#Farrimond 30), Pressley, Dlugonski (Cpt.), Smith, Kidd, McKenzie (Cadger 73), Watt, Urquhart Subs not used: - Hendry, Noble

Buckie:
Main, #Munro, #Lamberton, #Davidson, Angus, Small (Murray 23), More (Stewart 73), ##Catto, #Shewan, Coutts, McDonald (Souter 63) Subs not used: - Bartlett, Grant

Stand in Manager: - Raymond Cardno

Referee: G. Cheyne