Second half counters from Graeme Cadger and Jamie Watt earned Vale a narrow victory in their final league game of the season at Princess Royal Park on Wednesday evening.
With Kenny Gilbert back in their side the Banffers edged the first forty-five without really threatening Andy Shearer's goal.
The second period saw a more open contest with opposite numbers Ross Bremner and Shearer in sparkling form but it was former Keith striker Graeme Cadger who broke the deadlock with a close-range finish following a goalmouth scramble.
Vale took confidence from "Cadge's" opener but had to wait until the ninety-first minute before sealing the points, Jamie Watt punished a slack piece of defending with an opportunist strike for his twenty-second of the season.

Mark Smith's first-minute drive was well-off target and within thirty seconds Stuart Walker rose to head a Barrie Stephen cross straight into the arms of Ross Bremner as things got underway in front of a disappointing end-of-the-season low crowd.
Terry Kidd had a goal-bound strike blocked before Kenny Gilbert's stand-up to the far post was easily cleared by the huge frame of Kris Niddrie as Jamie Watt tried his best but didn't quite have the height to challenge the Scottish Select defender.
Watt did however come closer to scoring in the seventeenth minute when Shearer, whose good positioning made the stop that bit easier, saved his well-executed volley.
A raid down the left earned Steve Dolan a corner kick but the evergreen defender unusually made a hash of the set piece sending the ball straight out of play.

Stuart Walker intercepted a misplaced pass inside his own half by Terry Kidd but his vicious swerving effort just failed to find the far corner of the net with Ross Bremner at full stretch.
A mistake at the other end by striker come defender Derek Nicol let in Jamie Watt but the Vale modern-day top scorer made a hash of his chance when he fired weakly straight at Shearer when a bit of composure was the order of the day.
Within a minute Watt had another golden opportunity following a swift Vale counter but again Jamie disappointed when he fired wide with only Shearer to beat with his weaker left foot.

A brilliant double stop from Ross Bremner within a couple of minutes of the re-start kept the visitors at bay.
As Vale failed to clear their lines McKinstray took full advantage and whipped in a cross from the left which was met by the head of Barrie Stephen but "Brems" was equal to it, twisting in mid-air to turn the ball away from the top corner and as the loose ball was pounced on by the in-rushing Mike Brown, Bremner dived bravely at his feet to deflect the ball to safety.
A Steve Dolan cross at the opposite end was thumped clear for a corner and from "Dippy's" set-piece Mark Smith out-jumped the visitor's defence only to see his header bounce agonisingly wide of the near post.
Mr versatile, Ryan Pressley was replaced by Karl Farrimond eight minutes after the re-start as Gregg Carrol looked to his pace to unlock the Keith defence.
Barrie Stephen's return to Banff came to an abrupt end when he was stretchered off with what looked like a bad knee injury which will be a worry to Scotland Semi-Professional boss Jim Fleeting ahead of the international matches in Cork later this month.
Terry Kidd drove well wide before Ross Bremner pulled off another fine save to deny Walker after he had slipped Danny Craib at the edge of the box.
Substitute Wayne MacKay was next try his luck but again "Brems" was in the right position to divert his effort to safety.
Vale went into the lead in the seventy-fifth minute following a melee deep inside the Keith penalty box which saw no fewer than six efforts blocked before Graeme CADGER pounced to divert the ball past Shearer from close range.
A great piece of determined play saw Keith captain Darren Still race to the bye-line and cut the ball back across goal but Stuart Walker could only hit the side netting with his angled drive from 6-yards. Stuart Gray headed narrowly over moments after replacing Danny Craib as he latched onto a deep Karl Farrimond cross.

Andy Shearer brilliantly denied Terry Kidd what would have been his second of the season when he managed to get a strong hand to claw Kidd's effort away from reaching the top corner and from the resultant corner Karl Farrimond needed just the faintest of touches at the far post to score but completely lost the flight of the ball and the chance was gone.
Grant Noble, who had earlier replaced scorer Graeme Cadger, showed just how much confidence he has when he skipped past the experienced Kenny McKenzie as if he wasn't there but his shot lacked the strength to worry Andy Shearer.
Shearer then did just enough to push Jamie Watt wide as he sprang the Keith offside trap and did well again to cut out Watt's centre as he tried to pick out the unmarked Noble.
The visitors had ambitious shouts for a penalty when Darren Still's long-ranger cannoned off skipper Bryan Dlugonski but referee Gary Cheyne wasn't in the least bit interested in their claims and play raged on.
Jamie WATT wrapped up the points for Gregg Carrol's side when, with his back to goal, acrobatically hooked a loose ball over the outstretched hand of Andy Shearer and into the net after the Keith defence failed to convincingly clear with a Karl Farrimond cross.
Powerhouse Mark "Rusty" Smith was voted the sponsor's man-of-the-match.

Gregg Carrol seemed pleased enough following Vale's nineteenth league victory keeping their unbeaten run of eight games intact when he said, "The first half was a bit boring with neither side really testing the defences but the second was quite exciting and a great way to finish off the campaign.
"I didn't they troubled us too much although Ross's (Bremner) double save at the start of the second half was vital. Keith always seem to do well against us so I'm pleased to get some revenge following the defeat at Kynoch Park earlier this year although I would swap tonight's performance for a victory Saturday week".
Carrol confirmed that Steve Dolan, Mark Chisholm and skipper Bryan Dlugonski had a change of heart and were not going to Mike McKenzie's stag holiday in Bulgaria and would be available for selection come Cup Final day, the 14th of May.

Vale:
Bremner, Dolan, Pressley (Farrimond 53), Chisholm, Dlugonski (Cpt), Craib (Gray 75), Kidd, #Gilbert, Cadger (Noble 75) Watt, Smith
Subs not used: McKenzie, Fowlie (GK)


Keith
Shearer, Tawse, Simmers, Robertson (Donaldson 62), Niddrie, Nicol, Still, Brown, Walker, Stephen (MacKay 62), McKinstray (McKenzie 80)
Subs not used: Gibson, Lennox
Manager: Martin Allan

Referee:G Cheyne (4)