A stirring second half performance saw Vale take all three points against fellow title hopefuls Locos on a sodden pitch and in front of a highly charged crowd in the proverbial 'six pointer' between the joint second placed sides.

Paul Urquhart put in a great second forty-five minute shift, which culminated with two close range strikes either side of Mark Chisholm's well-struck counter to seal the match for the buoyant Banffers.
Locos, missing the likes of Ritchie Singer, Andy Roddie, Neil McLean and Craig Ross took an early lead through comeback striker Kenny Coull and had the edge in a tentative first period but the Banffers pulled in off in the second half with a gritty workman-like performance.
The victory in Vale's last home match before Christmas was a vital one for Gregg Carrol's side as they kept the pressure on leaders Fraserburgh and will certainly make all other league challengers take notice that the boys from Banff are also serious about their title aspirations.

The game got underway in one of a number of heavy downpours seen during the day which made the surface a tricky one to play on but both sides to their credit played most of their football on the deck and kept the ball moving as quickly as the soaking Princess Royal Park allowed them.
Ross McWilliam, up against his former side, burst through the visitor's rearguard after just two minutes but pulled wide with just Stewart Gray to beat.
Locos, with a slight wind advantage, tried their luck from distance on a couple of occasions but failed to trouble James Blanchard in the Vale goal.
Robbie Brown, back playing in midfield in place of the injured Terry Kidd, saw Gray hold his low drive from 22-yards after being set-up by Mike McKenzie before the Garioch side broke the deadlock.
Kenny Coull found half a yard inside the Vale box to fire into the bottom corner after a threaded pass from Stuart McKay picked out the unmarked striker.

The game swung from end to end with neither keeper troubled until Kenny Gilbert's searching cross just eluded the head of Ian Murray at the far post.
Then, as Vale kept up their momentum Ross McWilliam's darting run and cross picked out the unmarked Murray eight yards out but his downward header had the power taken out of it as it hit the drenched surface before Gray saved low to his right.
Opposite number James Blanchard did very well to turn Kenny Coull's angled drive away for a corner after the striker used his upper-body strength to wriggle his way past Mark Chisholm but Locos failed to make the set-piece count.
Mike McKenzie and Ian Murray were shown yellow cards in quick succession by referee Paul Cheyne as Vale showed their frustration with themselves and the officials, who didn't seem to be giving them the rub of the green.
A superb challenge right on the goal line on "Molby" Murray by Roddie Mess denied the wee striker a certain equaliser after good play between Mike McKenzie and Steve Dolan, the latter whipping the ball low across the face of Stewart Gray's goal.
Five minutes from the interval saw James Blanchard pull off another fine stop this time the young custodian fisted Danny Milne's fiercely struck effort to safety in a swift Locos attack.

Gregg Carrol's half-time pep talk saw the home side get the second half off to the perfect start when Paul URQUHART levelled the match.
Steve Dolan threw in a deep cross which the Locos defence failed to deal with and Ross McWilliam's pass in behind found "Yogi" in the right place at the right time to squeeze the ball beyond the visiting keeper.
Locos responded immediately and Kenny Coull forced "Blanchy" into a smart save low at his right-hand post and as Vale broke with pace a fine interception by Roddie Mess denied Ross McWilliam a clear sight of goal.
The visitors took another blow soon after when they lost Stuart McKay to injury; young Alan Padua took the striker's place, who had being playing in an attacking wide-right position.
Mike McKenzie warmed the hands of Stewart Gray with a rasping strike from distance before Ian Murray had the ball in the net but referee Cheyne correctly called the play back for a foul on the Locos keeper.
Mark Smith very nearly inadvertently lobbed Gray when he met Bryan Dlugonski's free kick and stuck out his boot more in hope than anything else but the keeper was picking the ball out of the net moments later.
Ross McWilliam's short corner to Steve Dolan saw "Dippy" fire the ball low across the edge of the Locos penalty box to find Mark CHISHOLM and the sponsor's man-of-the-match swept home a beauty low past the helpless Stewart Gray for his ninth of season.

Mike McKenzie passed up a decent chance to make the points safe when cut inside two Locos defenders before slicing the ball well wide of the upright and then strike partner Ian Murray also wasted an opportunity when his poorly taken free kick from a dangerous position failed to work the visiting keeper.
Paul URQUHART however, showed his strikers the way to goal soon after when he drilled a low shot beyond Gray from close range after a fine run and cross from Ross McWilliam.
Ian Murray's attempted lob was easily saved by Gray as Vale started to carve out openings in the visitors defence and with Kenny Coull also replaced it was hard to see a way back for men from Inverurie although to be fare to them they battled away right to the end albeit without forcing "Blanchy" into any kind of action.

After completing the league double over title rivals Inverurie Locos Vale boss Gregg Carrol was understandably in an upbeat mood when he said, "I thought we were tremendous in the second half, and worked really hard to get the three points. The boys were a bit frustrated at half-time, probably with their first half showing when we played too deep forcing us to play too many long balls but once we equalised we settled down and I thought deserved our victory".

Vale:
Blanchard, Dolan, Gilbert, Chisholm (Cpt), Dlugonski, Brown, McWilliam, Smith (87), #McKenzie, #Murray, Urquhart
Subs not used: Watt, Noble, Craib, Mitchell McKenzie (GK)

Locos:
Gray, Graham, Buchan, Wilson (Cpt), #Simpson, Mess, Coull (Duncan 71), Walker, Milne, McKay (Padua 49), Ross (Cutler 76)
Subs not used: McLean, Smith (GK)
Manager: J. Gardiner
Referee:   P. Cheyne