Unsurprisingly Vale went into the fixture with the same starting eleven who did the business at Nairn last weekend but were taken aback early on as the visitors kicked off forcing the play from the offset.
Indeed Gary Manson was within inches of connecting with Martin Macgregor's centre six-yards from goal, following a short corner kick.
Jamie Mackenzie was then denied by James Blanchard who threw himself to his left to turn Mackenzie's low shot on the turn around the post.

However the visitors were picking the ball out of their own net in the ninth minute with a textbook Vale counter.
Mike McKenzie picked up the ball at the edge of the Academy penalty box before threading a ball into the path of the in-rushing Steve Dolan.

Paul Urquhart replaced the injured Ross McWilliam at the interval as the Banffers kicked off the second period with the strengthening wind at their backs.
The Banffers started to move the ball about well on the slick surface and were very unlucky not to increase their tally when Mike McKenzie's fired cross just eluded the head of Paul Urquhart.
Mark Chisholm was then denied his second brace in as many games when Don Macmillan somehow clawed his close-range header to safety following another superb ball into the middle from Vale talisman Mike McKenzie.

Steve Dolan set-up Paul Urquhart with another opportunity but the substitute was flagged offside as he stopped to head "Dippy's" cross goalwards.
Ian Murray, lurking at the back post, came within a whisker of netting Mike McKenzie's low cross before the homesters finally made it four.
The goal was made by who else but Mike McKenzie when the striker beat the Wick offside trap, made good progress into the eighteen-yard box but as he squared trying to pick out forward partner Ian Murray, the unfortunate Craig SHEARER stretched out a boot to divert the ball into his own net. .

Steve Dolan and substitute Terry Kidd fired well over from distance and at the other end Danny Craib, who had just replaced Bryan Dlugonski, was forced to clear over his own cross bar as Academy looked for a little consolation from their afternoons work

Mark Smith picked up the ball deep inside his own half, opened up his legs and made progress towards the Wick penalty box. The visitors did manage to close down and tackle "Rusty" but only succeeded in setting up Steve DOLAN, who had sprinted from defence to support his team-mate, and "Dippy" capped off a fine individual performance by coolly passing the ball onto the net for his third of the current season.
Terry Kidd was denied by Don Macmillan when he broke clear of the square looking back-four and in the dying seconds Macmillan was again in the right place to stop Paul Urquhart making it six when he saved with his legs from close range.