"It's probably one of the best performances from a Vale side for a long time and the players deserve all the praise as they were fantastic", that was how Gregg Carrol described his team's performance on Tuesday afternoon as they extended their lead at the top of the league to three points after seeing off former champions Huntly with an emphatic performance.
After a shaky first ten minutes, which saw Graham Green head the visitors into the lead, table toppers Deveronvale simply rolled up their sleeves, dug deep and deservedly won this explosive fixture by four goals to one.
Mark Smith increased his goal tally to eleven for the season with a double to send his side in at the break in the lead and once Mike McKenzie steered a hotly disputed penalty past Richard Bowman there was only going to be one winner.
Ian Murray joined "Rusty" on eleven goals with the final strike of the afternoon but by that time the game was well and truly over for the ten-men visitors, who had Neil Reid sent off for denying Ian Murray a goal-scoring opportunity which had led to Mike McKenzie's spot-kick.
"Tigers" manager Billy Anderson felt there was never three goals between the teams and was selective with his wording when questioned on referee Matt Northcroft's handling of the game as he felt his side didn't get a fair rub of the green from the official especially the penalty and sending off decision but with twenty-six attempts on goal from the hosts he didn't really have a strong case to argue and his beleaguered side might have easily have gone home even more humiliated.

It was only Huntly's second match in seven weeks but they were so quick out of the traps that you might have thought their season depended on it and they deservedly stormed into a ninth minute lead.
Gary McGowan had sent over a couple of enticing crosses, which Vale had nervously dealt with, before he carved out the opener for Graham Green. McGowan turned Kenny Gilbert inside out before picking out Green six-yards from goal and he flicked the ball towards the back-post and it bounced in beyond the despairing hand of James Blanchard.
Vale's midfield, without flu victim Paul Urquhart, were struggling to cope with the movement of the visitors but on their first attack drew level. Steve Dolan's free kick from the right was flicked beyond Richard Bowman by Mark Chisholm to find Mark SMITH at the back-stick and he gleefully headed into the net from close range.
Mike McKenzie and Ian Murray combined well at the edge of the box but Ross Campbell threw himself at McKenzie's goal-bound attempt to deflect the ball to safety and at the other end Bryan Dlugonski denied Ritchie Taylor with a fine timed tackle as the Huntly striker looked to pull the trigger.
As the game swung from end to end Mike McKenzie showed some trickery to create another decent scoring opportunity but Bowman did just enough although Simon Scott made sure when he cleared the spilled ball from the goal line before Ian Murray could pounce.

Robbie Brown forced Bowman into an easier save minutes later after the Vale midfielder was forced onto his weaker left foot at the edge of the penalty box before Mike McKenzie had another effort deflected to safety as Vale started to dominate the encounter.
Steve Dolan's set-piece very nearly sent his side into the lead as Bowman's poor fisted clearance could only find the unmarked Ian Murray at the edge of the 18-yard box but the Huntly number one redeemed himself with a fine save high at his near post after "Molby" had set himself to score.
Bowman, however could do very little five minutes later when Mark SMITH'S crisp volley nestled in the far corner following Mark Chisholm's knock-on from Ross McWilliam's set-piece into the penalty area.
Mark Smith was then fouled a good twenty-five yards from goal but again Bowman got across his goal well to turn Ian Murray's speculative effort around his right-hand upright and from the resultant corner kick Murray very nearly made it three with a fierce effort which shaved the cross bar on its way over the frame of the goal.

The Banffers started the second period on the ascendancy once again and only another flying save from Richard Bowman prevented Mike McKenzie from making the points safe after the buoyant striker had waltzed clear of a couple of challenges at the edge of the Huntly danger area.
The hard-worked Bowman easily gathered Ian Murray's deft chip before Ritchie Taylor was carried off the field of play with what looked like a serious injury after taking a hard challenge from Robbie Brown, who was cautioned for his troubles.
Bryan Dlugonski thumped Simon Scott's resulting set piece clear and as Vale broke Bowman did well to cut out Ross McWilliam's centre from the bye-line with plenty of red shirts in the box waiting on the cut-back.
Mark Smith passed up a great chance for his hat trick when he headed wide from point-blank range after a ricochet came back off Bowman to the lanky Vale midfielder.
A moment of real drama just on the hour mark saw the homesters awarded a penalty kick following a last man challenge on Ian Murray by Neil Reid after Ross McWilliam had sent the 'Wee Man' clear on goal. Referee Matt Northcroft duly sent off Reid before Mike MCKENZIE sent Bowman the wrong way to seal the points for the Banffers and the cheerful "Valley Crew" who had turned up in huge numbers to see their side consolidate their position at the top of the ScotAds Highland League.

A scorching 25-yard drive from the evergreen "Dippy" Dolan was turned over by Bowman as Vale went looking for a fourth.
Robbie Brown was replaced to a rapturous roar by young winger Graeme Watt before Ross Campbell headed a decent opportunity wide for the visitors, just to prove that the game wasn't quite over yet as a contest.
The impressive Ross McWilliam fizzed an effort over from distance and at the other end Garry McGowan should have done better when he fired straight down the throat of James Blanchard with only the keeper to beat and Vale caught napping for the only time during a hectic second period.

Ian MURRAY capped a fine afternoon's performance from him and his fellow players when he headed in Vale's fourth of the game after strike partner Mike McKenzie picked him out with a fine stand-up back into the six-yard box from the bye-line.
Mark Smith was voted the various sponsor's man-of-the-match before Graeme Watt passed up a great chance for his first senior goal for the club after playing a one-two with Mike McKenzie but the winger disappointed the anticipating home support when he could only hit the side netting with just Bowman to beat.

Deep inside injury time substitute Jamie Watt had an even better opportunity to cap a five-star performance for the boys in red when he raced clear of the chasing pack but although his attempted lob had the correct amount of lift he failed to find the gaping space between the posts as Bowman rushed from his line to thwart the sub, who is just a few goals short of making it one-hundred in a Vale jersey.

Vale:
Blanchard, Dolan, Gilbert, Chisholm (Cpt), Dlugonski, #Brown (G. Watt 76), McWilliam, Smith, McKenzie, Murray (J. Watt 89), Kidd
Subs not used: Craib, Noble, Mitchell McKenzie (GK)

Huntly:
Bowman, ##N. Reid, #Scott, Gairns, Campbell, Gray, #Craig (McGregor 81), Guild (Cpt), Taylor (O'Driscoll 53), #Green, #McGowan
Subs not used: Stephen, Shallicker, Gorski (GK)

Manager: Billy Anderson

Referee:  M Northcroft