Visitors and Deveronvale had to settler for a share of the spoils at Princess Royal Park on Saturday in a closely fought and exciting affair which saw Vale take the lead through Graeme Cadger only for former Vale striker Ritchie Taylor to bundle home an equaliser fourteen minutes later.
Both sides had their moments in the second half but with defences on top and keepers in good form it would have been unjust if either club had picked up the three points at the end of a frantic ninety minutes of top class football.

Vale welcomed back Mike McKenzie to their starting line-up but were still without left-back Steve Dolan and Mark Chisholm, "Chiz" having sustained ligament damage against the Dons on Wednesday and should be out for a few weeks.
Billy Anderson brought his troops the short distance to Banff looking to build on an impressive victory over champions Clach the previous weekend and keep up the pressure on early league leaders Inverurie Locos.

Ritchie Taylor fizzed an effort a foot or so past Bremner's post as went looking for a perfect start but Vale responded immediately and only a brave save at the feet of Mike McKenzie by Richard Bowman prevented the lanky striker putting his side one up.
Russell Guild got his head on the end of a Simon Scott centre but failed to trouble Bremner in between the Vale posts.
An important clearing header from ex-Vale captain Scott Anderson was enough to prevent the lurking Graeme Cadger sticking the ball away and from the resultant corner "Cadge" did manage to get his head to Paul "Yogi" Urquhart's cross but Bowman was well positioned to clutch to safety.

Vale took the lead right on the quarter hour mark when a deft stand-up to the far post by Mike McKenzie left Graeme CADGER with the simplest of headed finishes 4-yards out.
A rare mistake from Bryan Dlugonski was pounced on by Ally Reid but from the tightest of angles the former Keith winger missed the far post by a whisker although Bremner did seem to have it covered. A neat one-two between Watt and Urquhart ended when Watt failed to pick up the ball slotted in behind the defender although it did look as though the wee Vale striker had his shirt pulled as he went for the return and the incensed "Yogi" was cautioned for his persistent complaints to referee, who was rather oddly dressed in "Lime Green".

Levi Stephen replaced Graham Green in what looked like a tactical switch by Anderson and Cormack in the technical area and it paid handsomely just a couple of minutes later.
Bremner made an important stop from O'Driscoll before Stephen's near-post corner was flicked on by Ross Campbell and Ritchie Taylor and Scott Anderson combined to bundle the ball over the line with Taylor getting the last touch after Bremner had tried his best to keep the ball out.
Jamie Watt became the second player to be booked when he was rightly punished by referee Northcroft for a two-footed lunge on Simon Scott.

Taylor, who was fast becoming a menace to the Vale defence, fired another effort past from a decent position and at the other end McKenzie forced Bowman into a smart stop after he had wriggled clear of the visiting defence.
Another long range McKenzie effort was confidently saved by the number one before Taylor fired a drive straight down the throat of Vale keeper Ross Bremner.
Right on half-time Bryan Dlugonski saw his header from an Urquhart corner headed off the line by Scott and as the ball came back into the mixer Robbie Brown got up well too but headed a foot past Bowman's upright.

Robbie Brown lasted just two minutes of the re-start before he was replaced by Terry Kidd after picking up a groin strain, which may see the midfielder miss next Saturday's Qualifying Cup home tie versus Rothes.
Taylor blazed over after strike partner Jerry O'Driscoll set up the lively hit man and as play swung to the other end Dlugonski fired a super low cross into the six-yard box but there were no takers.
Taylor went over his ankle inside the Vale penalty box under a challenge from Ryan Pressley and after receiving treatment had to be replaced by the experienced Martin Stewart.

Graeme Cadger fired a yard wide with a snap-shot before Mike McKenzie went on a mazy run linking up with Cadger and Urquhart before eventually being crowded out by three or four Black and Gold shirts.
The game was so finely balanced at this stage that it was going to take a piece of magic or a mistake to win it with both sides creating half-chances as the game swung from end to end.
Ross Bremner saved a drive from Gary McGowan after the substitute had cut inside marker Stuart Gray while McKenzie was in the thick of things at the other end trying his best to carve out what would have been the winner with a another stand-up to the back post which found no red shirts in-waiting.
McKenzie went down holding his thigh and it looked all over for the sponsor's man-of-the-match but after treatment the blond haired talisman was able to continue.
With just seven minutes remaining fans favourite Barrie Stephen replaced the hard-working Jamie Watt as Gregg Carrol used his last throw of the dice in an effort to win the encounter.
McKenzie drove a daisy cutter to the bottom corner but Bowman was equal to it turning it around his post for a corner, which came to nothing.
Huntly responded when Martin Stewart fired a low across into the Vale six-yard box but fortunately for the home side the outstretched boot of O'Driscoll failed to make the all-important connection.
Stewart headed into the net at the far post following a deep cross but the stand-side official's flag had already been raised for offside against the veteran striker.
Mark Slater, who had another fine game for his new club, was forced to head off his own line after Vale got themselves in a bit of mess attempting to clear their lines.
Vale's last chance came when Cadger went down looking for a penalty under a challenge from Campbell but referee Northcroft took a long look at the incident before rightly waving play on.
Deep into stoppage time Martin Stewart got himself into a decent position to get a free header on a McGowan deep cross to the back stick but Bremner reacted well to clutch the ball to safety before it could reach any of Stewart's waiting colleagues