Recently appointed Forres Manager Steve Paterson must be raking his experienced brain wondering how on earth his hard-working side have yet to pick up any points since his arrival back into the Highland League a month or so ago.
After losing narrowly to title hopefuls Inverurie, Huntly and Clach in his first three games in charge he took his new club to Banff looking to pick up his first points since his high profile return to football but left again with nothing but probably an aching head.
Vale had Mark Smith to thank for the three points when the midfielder scored twice during an action packed second half, his second just two minutes from time, in an encounter which could so easily have went either way.
The visitors had gone in at the break with a one-nil lead thanks to Mike Morrison's penalty kick, the third that Vale had conceded in as many games, and although the Banff side had looked to be the more likely to get their noses in front during the opening forty-five they found Martin Rae in superlative form between the Mechanics posts.
The second period saw Vale huff and puff before finally equalising through Mark "Rusty" Smith before the same player sneaked in at the back post to finish off a perfect low cross from super sub Karl Farrimond to keep Gregg Carrol's side still in with an outside chance of the title and send the dejected Can-cans home cursing their luck as twice in the latter stages they had seen efforts come back off Ross Bremner's cross bar.
Charlie Brown, Forres' deadly top scorer, signed a new three-year contract prior to kick off but failed to make a start for the visitors as boss Steve Paterson elected to go with Scott Matheson up top alongside the huge frame of Ryan Green, a partnership which was to give the Vale defence an uncomfortable afternoon as they played the long ball game using their strength and height to good advantage.
Counterpart Gregg Carrol decided a few changes were necessary following last week's defeat at Keith and put Robbie Brown back into his defensive trio in the place of Danny Craib with Paul Urquhart reinstated to Vale's midfield alongside Mark Smith and the ever-present Terry Kidd.
An impeccable minute's silence was observed for three of Vale's recently departed long serving and faithful supporters, Kenny Lloyd, Cecil Barclay and Willie Rennie before things got underway.

A tentative first ten minutes saw Vale having plenty of possession without really testing the visitor's goal as the sides felt each other out on the wet underfoot conditions.
Mark Smith was first to test either keeper with a grounder from 22-yards which was comfortable for Martin Rae and at the other end Ross Bremner had to be quick off his line to clear a ball over the top ahead of Ryan Green with the Vale defence standing high up the pitch claiming for offside.
Steve Dolan came within inches of connecting with Bryan Dlugonski's in-swinging cross into the six-yard box before Martin Rae brought off a spectacular save to deny Jamie Watt his fourteenth of the season. Paul Urquhart dropped a ball in behind the Mechanic's back-line to find Watt unmarked eight yards out and although the wee striker took it expertly first time on the volley Rae was equal to it as he somehow clawed the ball from the top corner and out for a corner. Rae denied Watt again with another decent stop before the visitors went into an unlikely lead.
Scott Moore and Paul Urquhart both chased a loose ball inside Vale's eighteen-yard box and down went Moore under the slightest of challenges. Referee Alan Freeland was in a good position to see the incident and after a taking a good look pointed to the spot. Mike Morrison sent Ross Bremner the wrong way from the resultant penalty kick.
Bryan Dlugonski tried to get his side quickly back into the game but his tame effort was easily collected by Martin Rae before Vale thought they had pulled themselves level.
Paul Urquhart intercepted a Smith shot which was going wide at the back post before coolly slotting it beyond Rae but the stand-side assistant reckoned he was in an offside position and the goal was quickly chalked off.
Ross Bremner was forced into a neat save from Matheson as Forres slowly grew in confidence and started to break with a bit more belief that it might just be their afternoon but it was Vale who should have grabbed the next goal right on the half-time whistle.
Steve Dolan sprang the offside trap and ran fully forty-yards before firing low at Rae who blocked yet again, this time with his legs, but with Mike McKenzie for company the evergreen "Dippy" might have been better squaring rather than electing to go it alone.

Mark Smith fired an early warning shot as the second period got underway but his effort cleared Rae's cross bar by a couple of yards after good link-up between McKenzie and Watt.
Colin Maclean did likewise at the other end but with twelve minutes of the half gone Vale finally equalised.
A Mike McKenzie corner from the left, their tenth in fifteen flag kicks Vale chalked up during the ninety minutes, was nudged into the path of Mark SMITH and he swivelled to fire the ball beyond Rae and into the far corner of the side netting to set up a grandstand final half-hour.
A change of formation by the Vale management team saw Mark Chisholm push into midfield in a more conventional four-four-two and it almost paid dividends immediately.
Steve Dolan's customary run down the left saw him find the run of Paul Urquhart into the box but Martin Rae was well positioned to save "Yogi's" header low to his left.
A major mistake from Ross Bremner very nearly resulted in the Can-cans going back into the lead moments later when "Brems" failed to connect with a through ball but just as Ryan Green looked to stroke the ball into the unguarded net up popped Robbie Brown in the nick of time to slide the ball to safety.
With just over twenty minutes remaining opposite managers Carrol and Paterson decided to play their ace in a last ditch effort to win the match.
Gregg Carrol sent on Carl Farrimond in place of the industrious but tiring Paul Urquhart while Steve Paterson replaced Scott Matheson with fans favourite Charlie Brown, who was just returning after a few weeks out with an injury.
Charlie Brown's first touch was impressive to say the least but just failed to make the breakthrough when he headed a Graeme Grant cross against the face of Ross Bremner's crossbar before Mark Slater hooked the ball to safety.
However Farrimond was also quick to show his skills and he sent in a teasing cross from the right but veteran Mickey McPherson did well to head clear ahead of Mark Chisholm.
As the game opened up and gaps started to appear at both ends Mike Morrison came oh so close to notching his second of the afternoon with a blistering drive from all of 30-yards which Ross Bremner got the slightest of touches to as it cannoned back off the face of Vale's crossbar before being cleared.
Scott Moore was shown a second yellow and a consequent red by referee Freeland for a late challenge of Robbie Brown, which left the visitors with just ten men for the remaining ten minutes of a highly exciting finale.
Ross Bremner did brilliantly when he denied Charlie Brown with his left-leg as the striker raced onto a defence-splitting pass in behind the Banffer's back four looking a surety to score the winner.
Martin Rae wasn't going to upstaged by his opposite number however and also pulled off a superb stop to deny Mark Chisholm from point-blank range after another telling cross into the mixer from substitute Farrimond.
As the announcer confirmed Mark Smith as the Sponsor's man-of-the-match the red-haired midfield squandered a great chance for the winner when he thumped a decent chance over the top at the back post but with just two minutes of time remaining the young Aberdonian didn't disappoint with the winner.
Carl Farrimond was sent scampering down the right by Bryan Dlugonski and his low cross to the back post found SMITH unmarked and he steadied himself before smashing the ball high into the net to send the home support wild with excitement.

A relieved Gregg Carrol said, once he had found his breath, "It wasn't the greatest of performances and in fact the first half was pretty dire, almost like a training exercise but we scraped home in the end. It was hard as we had to chase the game after losing the opener but once we got the equaliser and changed things we started to create more chances and found the winner".
Carrol went on to say, "I thought Karl (Farrimond) did very well when he came on and when we moved "Chiz" (Mark Chisholm) into the midfield in a more advanced role we started to really penetrate their defence and ask some questions of it. When it gets to this stage of the season every game is massive for us so it's important that we have the full squad fit as it gives us the options to change things like we were able to do today although perhaps lady-luck shone on us a wee bit too as Charlie Brown came very close to winning the game for them at the other end with a couple of very near things".

Vale:
Bremner, Dolan, Dlugonski (Capt.), Chisholm, Slater, #Brown, Smith, Kidd (Gilbert 77), #McKenzie, Watt (Cadger 89), Urquhart (Farrimond 68)
Subs not used: - Gray, Phimister (GK)

Forres:
Rae, Grant, McPherson, S. Maclean, C. Maclean (Rowley 74), Morrison, Whyte, ##Moore, Green, S. Matheson (Brown 68), A. Mathieson
Subs not used: - Hardie, Stables, Mackenzie (GK)
Manager: Steve Paterson

Referee:A Freeland (3.5)