They say lightening never strikes the same place twice well try telling that to the hardy Vale support who watched their side throw away a two goal cushion for the second week running and end up with just a point from a match they more or less dominated but wasted chance after chance in; although it must be said the conditions were pretty awful for attractive, flowing football.
The Banffers have now slipped five points off the leaders Fraserburgh but have the chance to cut the deficit if they can take the three points next Saturday when the two teams meet in a re-arranged match at Princess Royal Park but opportunities simply must be converted if they are to achieve this huge task.
Manager Gregg Carrol wasn't in a particularly pleasant mood after seeing his side slip up to the young visitors but did single out debutant Graeme Watt for praise when he said, "I thought Graeme did extremely well for his first start for the club and to be fair although we lost three goals the defence didn't really break sweat but the stats say we only gained a point from a match we were down a home banker to win but we created and missed enough chances to win five games".
Carrol continued, "I had a long chat with my management team after the match and we know what is required to turn things around although as long as we're making goal scoring opportunities there is no need to press the panic button quite yet as there's along way to go in the title race".

Carrol had made just one change to the side who had played so well for the majority of the match in Inverness the previous Saturday, Graeme Watt making his debut in the place of Ross McWilliam, who dropped out of the squad all together for this one.
Brora who had pushed Buckie all the way last weekend were looking to pick up their first point at Banff for many a year and manager Jim Kelly knew his young team would have to ride their luck if they were to take anything home from their long trip south.
Vale played with the strong North wind and driving rain at their backs for the first period and forced a series of corner kicks which came to nothing and indeed were given an early warning that they weren't going to get everything their own way when Conner Campbell hooked a decent opportunity over the top after good work from Fraser Gow down the right.
Mark Chisholm passed up one of a host of chances when through one on one with the visiting keeper but hit the outside of the post when he should have done better.
Kyle Rae then saw a well-placed header cleared at the far post following a Steve Dolan corner before Mark Smith saw a weak drive easily saved by Michael Gray.
"Chiz" wriggled his way through on goal for the second time just short of the quarter hour mark but fired straight at Gray with the goal at his mercy.
The home skipper then unfortunately got in the way of Ian Murray's net-bound strike as the shivering home support started to vent their frustration with their bungling players.
Shane Sutherland had an angled strike hit the side-netting but his keeper was picking the ball out of the net at the other end seconds later.
Mark Smith's speculative effort from distance was spilled by the Rangers keeper and was quickly pounced on by the ever-alert Ian Murray, Murray turned the last defender before side footing to the lurking Mark CHISHOLM and the home captain made no mistake from 10-yards.
Chisholm, who was giving the Sutherland side a difficult time early on, headed narrowly over before Ian Murray slipped at the vital moment as he moved in on goal after a delightful ball over the top from strike partner Mike McKenzie.
It was only a matter of time before Vale doubled their advantage and it came courtesy of regular goal-getter Mark SMITH.
A deep Steve Dolan corner was thumped goalwards by Kyle Rae and although Michael Gray got his body behind it he only succeeded in turning the ball into the path of "Rusty" who fired home for his seventh of the season.

The Banffers began the second period with the strengthening wind in their face but went straight into attack and very nearly killed the game off as a contest.
Terry Kidd firstly fired a tame effort at Gray which the keeper held comfortably but on Vale's next raid Steve Dolan's cross from the left resulted in a huge goalmouth scramble but somehow the Rangers defence kept their goal intact on this occasion.
Mark Chisholm knocked another opportunity over the top from close range after a super low cross from Graeme Watt and this was followed by a glaring miss by Mike McKenzie who side footed past the upright from point-blank range.
Brora to their credit fought themselves back into the match taking heart from their host's inability to make the points safe by pulling a goal back albeit with the aid of lady-luck.
Ian Innes broke into the Vale box and although Robbie Brown and Kyle Rae did well to push the midfielder wide he still managed to wrap his foot around the ball while sending it back into the mixer and his lucky break came off the foot of one of the defenders who inadvertently sent past the wrong footed James Blanchard at his near post.
Kyle Rae had a decent effort from the edge of the area blocked on its way goalwards as the Banffers tried to restore their two-goal advantage and then Ian Murray missed yet another sitter when a mistake by John Smith was picked up by Mike McKenzie who in turn fed "Molby" through one-on-one with Gray but the miss-firing striker fluffed his opportunity to add to his season six goal tally.
Paul Urquhart replaced Debutant Graeme Watt after 69 minutes and within three minutes the points looked to be staying in Banff.
Holding midfielder Terry Kidd turned creator with a decent run into the box before picking out the unmarked Mike MCKENZIE who composed himself before hitting the net from 8-yards to relieve the crowd of any anxiety they may have been feeling.
However the visitors took no time to send a few more shivers down the backs of the hoe support when they immediately pulled another goal back.
A long diagonal ball was misjudged by young full-back Kyle Rae allowing Shane Sutherland a clear run at goal and the number eleven tucked the ball away with some aplomb.

All of a sudden the visitors had an extra spring in their step and started to believe they could perhaps get something out of the encounter and they started to spread the play about with a little more than the damage limitation game they had played for the majority of the match.
Gordon Mackenzie headed strongly wide from a corner kick and at the other end mark Smith poked an eighteen-yarder just past the far post.
Vale had a decent claim for a penalty when Mark Chisholm appeared to be pulled down by Michael Gray at the edge of his box and although closest official, the far-side linesman, signaled to the referee that it was indeed a spot-kick the man-in the middle infuriated the home dugout by booking "Chiz" for diving.
Substitute Jamie Watt who had earlier replaced Ian Murray hit the upright when sent through on goal by Terry Kidd's threaded pass as Vale kept looking for the all-important next goal but it just wasn't coming for Gregg Carrol's title hopefuls.
And as the game entered injury time James Blanchard did well to fist a wind-assisted corner over the top although the young keeper did clash with the post and required treatment for his troubles.
After "Blanchy" was able to continue the ensuing final chapter was about to unfold as Gordon Mackenzie whipped in the resultant flag-kick which was floated to the near post and whether or not it was flicked on or not the ball sailed over the Vale keeper and in off the underside of the crossbar with Steve Dolan on the back-post only able to knock the ball in to the roof of the net for a stunning last-gasp equaliser.

Vale:
Blanchard, Dolan, Rae, #Chisholm (cpt) (Munro 81), Dlugonski, Brown, Smith, Kidd, McKenzie, #Murray (J Watt 80), G Watt (Urquhart 69)
Subs Not Used: Noble, Craib, McKenzie (gk)

Brora:
Brora: M Gray, Gow, J Smith, A Sutherland (A Smith 50), B Gray, Morton, Calder, #Mackenzie, Campbell, Innes, S Sutherland
Subs Not Used: K Macleod, Duncan, A Macleod, Wilson

Referee:  S Logan