Vale played out their final game of the season with a comfortable victory at sun-drenched Claggan Park, Fort William.

First half counters from Dippy Dolan and Scotty Fraser had the Banffers firmly in the driving seat and the second period saw the one sided affair become more apparent when Mark Cowie, Mark Chisholm and Mike Ewen completed the former champions' nap-hand.

The five-goal victory saw Vale finish fourth in the league table and top scorers with the best goal difference but their inability to take three points off fellow challengers Locos, Keith and Buckie (home or away) in the end cost them the chance to retain their crown.

Robbie Brown missed the long trip to Lochaber as he began a four game suspension, which will see the popular midfielder miss the first three matches of the new season while Neale Allan made his full debut as he took his place in the side up top with Mike Ewen.

Fort who had failed to pick up a single league victory at Claggan Park so far this campaign almost fell behind after just 90 seconds but Mark Chisholm's lob into the net was ruled out for offside against the Vale skipper.

Graeme Watt then missed a snip when he headed Mark Smith's searching cross beyond the upright after keeper Willie Ridgers completely missed the flight of the ball leaving the young winger with a decent opportunity to add to his two-goal season tally.

The homeside created their first opening when Mike Ellis broke behind Chris Barney but Scott Fraser raced across to cut out the striker's centre for a fruitless corner.

Fraser then hit the upright at the opposite end with a downward header following Graeme Watt's flighted flag kick and from the rebound Willie Ridgers did well to smother the ball whilst denying Mike Ewen who had looked to poke home from close range.

Mark Smith's weighted pass sent Neale Allan through on goal but Ridgers palmed the striker's effort into the air before he juggled the ball over the crossbar.

Vale's attack-minded play saw them deservedly take the lead when they pinned their hosts back and eventually forced a free kick 22-yards out.
Steve DOLAN stepped up and sent the ball over the defensive wall and into the bottom corner with Ridgers firmly rooted to the spot.

Fort replied and from a deep corner kick Darren Quigg fired a decent opportunity into the side netting when left unmarked at the back post.
Graeme Watt did likewise at the opposite end when sent through with only Ridgers to beat.

Some strong running from Scott Graham saw the striker make good progress into the corner of the Vale penalty box but his attempted lob drifted beyond the far stick with the relatively quiet James Blanchard looking on in anguish.

With one minute of the first period remaining Vale doubled their advantage in controversial circumstances.
Mark Smith played the ball into Neale Allan and his hooked effort was palmed to safety by Willie Ridgers but Scott FRASER smashed the loose ball home from a suspiciously offside position with the home players and management furious with the officials' decision but the goal stood.

The visitors started the second period on the attack but just failed to make it three when Fraser Bremner's strike was charged down by the Fort defence.

Darren Quigg very nearly pulled a goal back for the homesters but James Blanchard pulled off a spectacular stop when he tipped over the defender's header over the top from point-blank range.

Mark COWIE killed off the game as a contest when he smashed his fourth goal of the campaign in off the upright after Graeme Watt's cross from the left eluded three or four players in the Fort box and slipped through to the unmarked midfielder leaving him a fairly simple chance to bulge the net.

Ridgers did his best to keep the score down when he stood up well to thwart Neale Allan from opening his Vale account but could do very little minutes later when Mark CHISHOLM made it four.

Steve Dolan swung in a set piece, which the Vale captain ran on to head firmly beyond the static keeper with his defence trying to hold a high line, which was only asking for trouble.

Blanchy pulled off a second spectacular save of the afternoon when the keeper dived full length to his right to turn Lawrie's well-struck effort around the post.

Fraser Bremner got in on the act with five minutes remaining when he twisted and turned his way beyond the home defence only for Ridgers to pull him down as he attempted to round the keeper.

Referee Bicknell had no option but to point to the spot and with little protests from the Fort players Mike EWEN stepped up to clinically finish off his first Vale season with his 21st goal of the season when he sent Ridgers the wrong way.

Deep into injury time Steve Dolan was denied his second of the afternoon when the busy Ridgers through himself across to his right to turn Dippy's set piece around the post.

Gregg Carrol reflected on a successful season when he said, "It's been a decent campaign with plenty of ups and downs and we have the Aberdeenshire Cup in the trophy cabinet and had a super Scottish Cup run to be proud of.
On the down side we failed to push right at the end when we still had a chance of retaining the title and fourth in the table isn't quite what we had hoped for but we'll be back in August with some fresh faces and ready to do it all again".

Vale: Blanchard, Dolan, Barney (Donaldson 68), Chisholm (cpt), Fraser, Bremner, Cowie, Smith (Urquhart 68), Ewen, Allan, Watt (McKenzie 68)
Subs not used: Knight (GK)

Fort William: Ridgers, #Bamber (Leternak 57), Quigg, Russell, Horsburgh, Lawrie, Haggerty (Murphy 73), Dougall, Graham, #M. Ellis, Kelly
Subs not used: S. Ellis, Hogg, Lewandowski
Manager: John Haggerty
Referee:  John Bicknell