HFL top-goal scorers Deveronvale racked up another three vital points on Saturday when they brushed aside visitors Lossiemouth with a comfortable five-nil victory although had both sides taken more of their chances created the score line could well have been something like nine-six!
Mike McKenzie's return to Vale's line-up proved to be the catalyst Gregg Carrol's boys needed and the former Lossie striker opened up the visiting defence on numerous occasions during the match none more so when he volleyed home a first minute counter to set Vale on their way. Mark Smith then chipped in with two further goals leaving Lossie with it all to do in the second half, as they trailed three-nil.
Vale however weren't going to lose this one and Karl Farrimond continued his good form of late when he also hit a brace, his goals coming just three minutes apart to round things off nicely for the Banff side and keep them firmly joint top of the table alongside leaders on goal difference, Huntly.
With Robbie Brown returning from suspension and lining up alongside Bryan Dlugonski and Ryan Pressley in a back three Gregg Carrol had the minor luxury of fielding a more experienced side than the one which dug out three points at Nairn the previous week but the Vale boss was still missing injured foursome, Mark Chisholm, Mark Slater, Danny Craib and Graeme Cadger and with Stuart Gray taken to hospital midway through the second half things aren't easing any on the casualty front for Mr Carrol.

Lossie travelled to Banff on the back of a six-three defeat at home to champions Clach last weekend and were hoping to defend a lot better this Saturday however things couldn't have started any worse than they did for the Moray Coasters.
Mark Smith had an ambitious effort from distance charged down before Mike McKenzie played in Stuart Gray down the right. Gray returned the compliment by finding McKENZIE with a low cross to the edge of the area and the come-back striker found the far bottom corner of the net with a grounder which squirmed through a ruck of bodies before finding its way past the unsighted Dunn in the Lossie goal.

Jamie Watt, the hero of last Saturday, came close to adding a second minutes later but could only find the side-netting after Dunn had done well to palm away an awkward Farrimond cross-come shot.
Ross Bremner brilliantly denied Shawn Scott when he stood up to block after the striker had slipped in behind Vale's back three chasing a Shalliker threaded pass.

Stuart Gray came close again for Vale when he ghosted in at the back post looking to latch onto a McKenzie low centre but the ball was just a little too far in front for the wing-back to connect.
Vale doubled their tally in the twelfth minute with a goal straight from the training ground. Farrimond's near-post corner was flicked on by the head of Bryan Dlugonski leaving Mark SMITH with the simplest of tasks of heading home from 3-yards out for his fifth of the current campaign.
Bremner did well again to sniff out the danger of the Lossie attack when he fisted an Ellis effort to safety after Scott had cut the ball back from the touchline into the midfielder's path.

Captain Dlugonski was off again minutes before the interval, dashing down the left flank before setting up Farrimond with his precise bye-line cutback but the wee midfielder also missed the target from about the same distance as Watt.
Stuart Gray and Jamie Watt were both unfortunate not to score right on the half-time whistle but somehow McMullan and McIntosh combined to clear off the line and keep their side in the game, albeit slimly.

Bremner was forced to touch a Scott low drive to safety as Lossie came out of the traps quickly for the second period and at the other end McKenzie came within inches of finding the net as he cut inside and fired goal wards from 20-yards.
Dunn then denied Watt with a brave save at the feet of the striker after Vale had broken quickly and with purpose and McKenzie had made good progress down the right before crossing to the closely marked Watt.
As the rain started to pour down Mark Smith was picked out by Bryan Dlugonski's stand up to the far post but Dunn was on hand to deny the Red-haired midfielder low down at his right upright.
Karl FARRIMOND netted Vale's fourth from close range on the hour mark when he lashed a McKenzie cutback past Dunn from six-yards for his third of the season.
Three minutes later the hard-working Mike McKenzie cut inside the Lossie defence before cannoning an effort off both uprights but it landed kindly into the path of the waiting Karl FARRIMOND who lashed the loose ball home to complete his brace and the scoring.
Steve Ellis almost pulled one back for the visitors but his well-struck drive flew just over before Stuart Gray was stretchered off with what looked like a serious leg injury, just what boss Gregg Carrol didn't need with his current injury situation. The unfortunate Gray was replaced by Keith Hendry.
Jamie Watt, not for the first time during the afternoon, was presented with another decent scoring opportunity when he found himself in behind the Lossie defence but to be fair to the Vale top marksman Steve Dunn was quickly off his goal line to narrow the angle leaving Watt with little space as he attempted the difficult lob over the Lossie number one.
Paul Urquhart made a welcomed return to the fold after a three-week injury lay-off when he replaced Mark Smith with Grant Noble also getting the remaining eighteen minutes as he replaced Mike McKenzie.
Shalliker tested Bremner with a low drive, which skidded off the greasy surface but "Brems" was equal to the HFL top-scorer's effort and got down well to hold at the second attempt.
Substitute Urquhart did well to block a goal bound Noble effort to safety following a Lossie corner and as Vale broke up field Watt saw another opportunity get away after good wing-play from Bryan Dlugonski set-up the striker five-yards out.
Steve Dolan's cheeky chip from a difficult angle had Dunn at full stretch to palm away from the far corner of the goal before Shawn Scott missed the last chance of the encounter when he poked wide from well-inside the Vale penalty box following some good work from Darren Shalliker.
The Match Sponsor's voted Bryan Dlugonski as their man-of-the-match.

Gregg Carrol was cursing his luck when he confirmed the extent of the injury suffered by Stuart Gray. Carrol said, "Stuart has torn his cartridge and will almost definitely be out for quite a while which is a shame because he was having a fine game as were all my players. We took the game by the scruff of the neck right from the start and the boys were magnificent today. It was good to get Robbie (Brown) back into the heart of our defence and although he supplied a few stray passes during the ninety minutes he led the defence by example with a solid performance."
"It's obviously disappointing not to be playing next week but it gives the injured boys a chance to rest and get ready for our next test at Cove Saturday week".