Deveronvale missed the opportunity to go clear at the top of the Highland League when they lost out to qualifying cup finalists Cove Rangers in a six-goal thriller at Banff. Cove looked to have goals in them right from the start and it was no surprise when they took a fourteenth minute lead through Gary Clark. Although Jamie Watt pulled Vale level and Karl Farrimond put the homsters into the lead the buoyant visitors fought immediately back equalising within just sixty seconds. The second half saw Cove score again through ex-Peterhead striker Martin Johnston before substitute Keith Robertson wrapped up Cove’s third league victory of the campaign with an easy finish leaving Gregg Carrol’s depleted squad one point off the top following Inverurie Locos’ surprise one-all draw at home to Brora.
Vale went into the game looking to stretch their unbeaten league run to seven but were without injured defenders Mark Chisholm & Mark Slater and the suspended Robbie Brown. Paul Urquhart added to Gregg Carrol’s woes when he failed a late fitness test meaning a rare start for Karl Farrimond in Vale’s engine room alongside Terry Kidd and Mark Smith (who was lining up against his former side for the first time since re-joining the Banffers in the close season). Cove were looking for a confidence booster ahead of next Saturdays Qualifying Cup Final and welcomed back John Brown to their starting eleven with John Sheran electing to go with a strike partnership of recent signings Colin Milne and Martin Johnston.

Cove, in their all yellow away kit kicked off proceedings but it was Vale who threatened first when Karl Farrimond skipped past McHattie on the left before crossing to Mark Smith but a timely clearance from the experienced Bruce Morrison cleared the danger.
A deep run in behind the Vale defence from John Brown was picked out by Martin Johnston but Ryan Pressley did just enough to cut out the danger.
Steve Dolan’s darting run into the Rangers penalty box saw Morrison clear again, just ahead of the lurking Jamie Watt.
Mike McKenzie’s low drive lacked the power to worry Ian Thain between the Cove sticks before the visitors grabbed the lead.
A low freekick was fired into the Vale penalty box and was played to the feet of the unmarked Gary Clark who had all the time in the world to pick his spot past the helpless Ross Bremner from 6-yards.
Ryan Pressley was rather fortunate not to concede a penalty when he pulled down John Brown right on the edge of the area and as the resultant set-piece came in Vale were just able to clear as the threat of Cove’s obvious height difference almost paid off for them.
The game was held up as Cove number one Ian Thain decided to change his footwear before the former Vale, Keith & Locos keeper was called into action, fisting away a Jamie Watt curling effort for a corner kick.
Mike McKenzie’s cross dropped kindly in the six-yard box for the ever alert Jamie WATT and he wasted no time in poking the ball into the corner for the equaliser.
Cove responded immediately and Steve Dolan somehow cleared Tindal’s effort off the line following a corner kick before Ross Bremner pulled off a super double save to keep the score line at one-a-piece.
Vale took the lead when Mike McKenzie’s excellent weighted pass in behind the Cove back line found the in-rushing Karl Farrimond and the youngster calmly slotted past the stranded Thain for his second of the season.
However Vale’s lead was short lived when Colin Milne held off Ryan Pressley before firing a low ball across Bremner’s six-yard box and find the un-marked Martin Johnston at the back post, who had the simplest of tasks of turning the ball over the line from a couple of yards out.
Vale’s day got worse just on half time when the instrumental Mike McKenzie was forced off the field with a hamstring injury and was replaced by Graeme Cadger, who has just came back from a long lay off and isn’t quite match fit yet.

Bremner spectacularly plucked a Martin Johnston effort out of the air as the second period got underway and at the other end good play on the left from Steve Dolan presented Terry Kidd with a half chance but the hard-working midfielder volleyed woefully wide from 18-yards.
The visitors took the lead ten minutes after the interval when John Brown eluded a couple of challenges at the edge of the area before shooting goalwards and although Bryan Dlugonski was on hand to block he only succeeded in giving the ball straight to the unmarked Martin Johnston who slotted the loose ball home for his second of the afternoon.
Bruce Morrison, who at 39 was having an excellent game, thwarted Jamie Watt with a fine timed tackle as Vale huffed and puffed in an attempt to get back into the match.
Ross Bremner did brilliantly to deny Martin Johnston his hat trick with a flying save but could do very little moments later when the Aberdonians sealed the points. Bremner, at full stretch could only palm away a dangerous Brown cross and Keith Robertson was in the perfect place to steer the loose ball home to complete the scoring.
The impressive Karl Farrimond tried to get Vale back into it but his free kick from the edge of the area was straight at the defensive wall with Terry Kidd volleying the rebound high over the top.
Substitute Keith Hendry fired a well-hit drive just over and Mark Smith did likewise but Vale never really looked like piercing Ian Thain’s goal in the second half as they lost their home league record to John Sheran’s fired-up side and a little ground at the top of the table.

Boss Gregg Carrol failed to blame his growing injury list as an excuse for Vale’s defeat but instead pointed to some poor defending when he said “we just never competed and when you play against an experienced side like Cove have you have to be at your best if you want to pick up the points. I thought once we got our noses ahead we would go on and win but we lost one immediately and after that never looked like winning the match. Our injury list is as bad as it’s been in my time here but that’s not the reason we lost yesterday we had a game plan and never stuck to it although we did play some neat football on the deck during the first half but lacked the cutting edge once Mikey (McKenzie) went off”.
When asked about McKenzie’s injury Carrol added, “Mike ‘s hamstring got tighter as the first half wore on so we had little option but to change him out although putting on Graeme (Cadger) wasn’t an ideal scenario as he’s not quite ready to return yet and may have done more damage than good to his ongoing ankle injury but what can you do! We have another tough game next Saturday at Nairn so we will work hard in training this week and hopefully be up for the trip up the Morayshire coast next weekend”.

Vale:
Bremner, Dolan, Gray (Hendry 74), Pressley, Craib, Dlugonski (Cpt.), #Smith, Kidd, McKenzie (Cadger 45 / Noble 84), Watt, Farrimond Subs not used: - Urquhart, Phimister (GK)

Cove:
Thain, McHattie, Livingstone, Hendry, #Tindal, Morrison, Clark (Mullen 64), Johnston (Steel 89), Milne (Robertson 70), #McCraw, Brown Subs not used: - Henderson, Charles (GK)

Manager: - John Sheran

Referee: G. Cheyne