Locos derail Vale's home winning run
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
DEVERONVALE'S quest for a third straight win at Princess Royal Park hit the skids on Saturday.
In a close Highland League contest with fourth-placed Inverurie Locos it was the visiting side who emerged as 2-1 victors, thanks to Jordan Leyden's 75th-minute winner.
Keen to build on the Scottish Cup success over Bonnyrigg Rose and a battling derby success over Turriff, Vale got off to a poor start.
After just six minutes defender Harry Noble brought down Neil McLean in the box for a Locos' penalty, which Neil Gauld duly fired past Errol Watson to give the travelling team an early advantage.
Watson kept out Gauld's next effort on goal, while Vale came so close to levelling when Robbie Allan's powerful strike forced a superb diving save out of Inverurie keeper Andy Reid, turning the ball on to the post. Leszek Nowosielski was first to the rebound but fired it wide of the target.
Matty Wallace nodded Vale's next chance over, and as Deveronvale kept up the pressure they had an effort cleared off the line in a goalmouth scramble with the Locos defence at sixes and sevens.
For much of the first half Vale looked a good bet to pull themselves level, Locos defending of their lead becoming increasingly desperate. Yet the home side had an escape when Inverurie's Joe McCabe struck the woodwork and Watson did well to deny Gauld on the rebound.
Robert Scott, keen to build on his match-winning double against Turriff, missed the target with a chance before half time as did Lewis Dunbar.
In the second half Reid was defiant in keeping out Wallace's strike from the edge of the box, before an even better save to keep out Dunbar's strike on the volley.
It seemed only a matter of time before Vale would draw level, and the equaliser duly arrived on 55 minutes.
Dunbar added to his goal against Turriff the week before as he crashed the ball home for his third goal of the campaign.
Locos seem to waken up at this point and Gauld had a goal disallowed for offside.
Vale were made to regret their missed opportunities when Leyden glanced a Gauld cross goalwards and the ball trundled inside the post to restore Locos' lead.
Stevie Dolan's side kept pressing hard but a late effort fizzed wide of the uprights and Vale were left with nothing to show for their considerable efforts on the day.
Vale are missing last season's top goalscorer Dane Ballard, who may well have stuck away one of two of the chances that came the way of the home side on Saturday.
The injured front man will again sit out Wednesday night's Aberdeenshire Shield first-round trip to Formartine United, as well as Saturday's league visit to bottom-of-the-league Fort William.
Vale remain in 12th place, a point behind Huntly and Rothes with the latter penalised three points last week for fielding an ineligible player.
Deveronvale: Watson, Dunbar, H Noble, Aitken, Adams, Willox, Nowosielski (Watt), Maclennan, Scott (G Noble), Wallace, R Allan (Robertson). Subs: Gauld, Munro, B Allan, Pennet.
Referee: A Proctor.
