Deveronvale manager Craig Stewart calls for Princess Royal Park club to make storming finish to Highland League season after good performances against Forres Mechanics and Formartine United
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A BATTLING defeat to third-placed Formartine United has convinced Deveronvale boss Craig Stewart that his team can finish the Highland League season on a high.
Vale led their Pitmedden hosts, who haven’t lost in the league since before Christmas, before a Formartine red card seemed to galvanise the home side and spur them on to a 2-1 win.
Stewart will now prepare his men for a trip to Rothes, followed by two home games against Wick Academy and Nairn County – and he sees no reason why Vale can’t win them all.
“Our guys won’t down tools until the season is done,” he said.
“Myself and the coaching team won’t allow that to happen for starters, but the group of boys we’ve got are hungry to learn and be better so I’ve got no question over the season petering out.
“We want to finish on a high and with three games left, the aim will be to take nine points. That’s what you always set out to do and there’s no reason why we can’t.
“If we play like we did against Forres (recent 2-1 win) and for long spells against Formartine on Saturday then there’s no reason why we can’t get the results we want. But we need to hit that levels to take points from the three games.
“None of these games are easy but all three are winnable. If we could go up another place by the finish the season strongly it would give us something to build on for next year.”
Dane Ballard’s 15th goal of the season edged Vale in front on 24 minutes and Stewart said his team deservedly led at the break.
Fraserburgh loan youngster Zane Laird then raced through in pursuit of a second Vale goal, only to be brought down by United defender Ryan Spink on the hour, and the red card perversely turned the match.
“For an hour there was nothing in it and it was quite a decent game between two teams with different styles of play,” Stewart said.
“When they had their man sent off about 15 minutes into the second half, that seemed to be a turning point in the game.
“Zane could possibly have gone on to make it 2-0 but he didn’t get the chance, and it seemed to give them a kick up the backside.
“I think it is a learning curve for our lads and how to manage the game with 10 men.
“They got their two goals. Julian Wade got a free header six yards out for the equaliser, then the winner was a great strike but we lost possession stupidly so we need to do better than that.
“We kept going until the end and Horace (Ormsby) missed quite an easy chance at the back post to equalise.”
