Sponsors man-of-the-match Charlie Brown rolled back the years as he scored all three Forres Mechanics goals in a typical end of season tussle played in glorious spring sunshine.

Vale had raced into a two-goal advantage courtesy of Robbie Brown and Mike Ewen but the Can Cans worked their way back into the game and pulled one back through veteran Brown.

Brown was on target twice within ten minutes to put the home side ahead but Vale fought back to snatch a draw in the proverbial game of two halves which could have went either way but in the end a share of the spoils was just about right.

It was all change for Gregg Carrol's line-up after last weeks devastating result against Inverurie Locos. Out went the unavailable Mark Chisholm and Paul Urquhart along with injured Mike McKenzie and the rested James Blanchard.
Stuart Knight made his first start between the sticks for the reds in their penultimate fixture of the season and the young keeper hardly put a foot wrong on his debut even though he eventually lost three goals.

The meaningless fixture took quite a while to get going but after quarter of an hour of play Mike Ewen volleyed over and at the other end Wayne Gaffney headed a decent opportunity wide from 6-yards.

Vale stepped up the pace soon after and took the lead thanks to a great piece of skill from the re-instated Ian Murray.
Molby completely outfoxed Gary Black on the right flank before turning onto his left and curling in a cross, which was met by the head of Robbie BROWN who had the easiest of tasks of stooping to place the ball into the net.

Scott Fraser should have made it two minutes later when the ball came through a ruck of players and landed at his feet following captain for the day Steve Dolan's floated freekick. However Fraser showed why he's a defender rather than a striker when he fluffed his shot twice before keeper Robert Taylor dived to smother the ball.

Fraser did better on Vale's next set-piece when he turned a Graeme Watt cross into the path of Ian Murray but the latter's 20-yard strike fizzed just wide of Taylor's left-hand post.

The visitors were now in total control of proceedings and doubled their advantage with again Molby the provider.
The striker outpaced Jordan Main down the right before firing the ball across the face of goal where the arriving Mike EWEN was on hand to force the ball home for his twentieth of the campaign.

Forres looked out of sorts but somehow wangled their way back into the match thanks to a great finish from Charlie Brown, who latched onto a through ball and finished with aplomb even though he looked suspiciously offside.

Ryan Green was denied an equaliser thanks to Greig Pirie's timely challenge and at the other end Mike Ewen had a decent shout for a penalty when he appeared to be shoved in the back by Stephen Skinner.

The home goal led a charmed life on the stroke of the half-time whistle with Murray, Brown, Smith and Ewen all going close to increasing Vale's tally but a combination of good defending and poor finishing meant it was all still to play for in the second period.

Mechanics looked a different outfit at the start at the second half and pegged the Banffers back without really threatening and it was in fact the visitors who almost netted again. Ian Murray stole the ball from Skinner before racing goalwards but his attempted lob had too much loft to bulge the net as it drifted over the top.

Charlie Brown fired a warning to the visitor's defence when he flashed a fierce strike a couple of yards wide and then namesake Robbie did likewise at the other end.

Robert Taylor pulled off a fine stop to thwart Robbie Brown's spectacular volley before the Can Can's drew level.

Charlie Brown picked up a ball at the edge of the Vale box dodged his way around three challenges before slotting beyond Stuart Knight, which was a great individual goal but from Gregg Carrol's point of view a poor one to lose.

Ian Murray, who was having a fine match deserved a goal but couldn't buy one as firstly his header drifted just over and then moments later flashed a volley over the top after taking Mark Smith's pass out of the air in his stride but disappointingly failing to work Taylor.

Justin Rogers fired a fierce effort wide before the Mechanic's should have taken the lead. Ryan Green broke through Vale's offside trap and bore down on Stuart Knight only for the big experienced striker to fail to either score or find one of two teammates inside the penalty area.

Charlie Brown completed his hat-trick soon after when he ran though the heart of Vale's defence before coolly rounding Knight and although Ian Murray and Steve Dolan found themselves into referee Matt Northcroft's notebook for their bitter complaints that Brown was well offside (and he certainly looked to be) the goal stood.

Vale weren't to be denied however and Fraser BREMNER got themselves a deserved point when he cut inside two defenders before rounding Taylor to net the Banffer's third and his personal third of the season.

Three corner kicks in quick succession saw the visitors almost take the three points when substitute Gary MacDonald's attempted clearance bounced off his own crossbar but the ball fell onto the top of the net rather than in it.

Charlie Brown's snap shot right at the death might have won it for the home side but it too failed to find the net but Brown did have the accolade of taking home the match ball.

Gregg Carrol said, "It was a decent effort from the lads and we're happy enough to take a point from the game in a meaningless game played on a difficult surface. I thought we were coasting and were in very little trouble but if you give someone with the experience of Charlie Brown an inch he certainly takes full advantage and has done against us over the years to our cost.
I was more than happy to give Stuart (Knight) his full debut and I knew he wouldn't let us down while it's always nice to introduce youngsters like Aarron (Lepkowski) and Neale (Allan) from our under eighteens".

Forres:
Taylor, Allan, Main, Black, Skinner, Munro, Whyte, Rogers (MacDonald 79), Brown, Green, Gaffney
Subs not used: Ross, Matheson, Calder, Campbell
Manager: Gordon Winton

Vale:
Knight, #Dolan (cpt) Barney, Pirie, Fraser, Brown (Allan 89), Bremner, Smith, Ewen (Lepkowski 85), #Murray, Watt (Cowie 82)
Subs not used: Chisholm, Blanchard (GK)

Referee:  M.Northcroft