Vale pay the price for poor display
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DEVERONVALE assistant manager Craig Stewart believes last Saturday's performance against Fraserburgh was one of the worst he has seen from the side.
Vale lost 4-1 at Bellslea Park as two early Scott Barbour goals and a Ryan Sargent strike had Fraserburgh 3-0 up at half time.
Ross Aitken got one back for Vale in the second half before Bryan Hay netted Fraserburgh's fourth.
Stewart said: "We were disappointed with the result but even more disappointed with the performance.
"In the first half we were terrible. I don't want to take anything away from Fraserburgh, but we were really, really poor.
"As I said to the lads at half time it has been a long time since I saw them put in a performance like that, we just weren't at it.
"For whatever reason we just couldn't get to grips with the game and found ourselves lucky only to have been 3-0 down at half time.
"Going forward we were really quite poor and that is as a team not just about the forwards, but on the same token defensively it's not just about defenders, but about defending from the front and we didn't do that on Saturday and it cost us."
Vale were reduced to 10 men just one minute into the second half as Michael Dunn was shown a second yellow.
"It was disappointing," Stewart said. "I spoke to Michael Dunn at half time and I spoke to the referee at half time and he had said to keep an eye on Michael because he was sailing close to the wind.
"He has just got caught up in the game and has picked up a second booking but it was the correct decision.
"To be fair to the boys, without really contributing much to the game we dug in and it was a case of trying to keep the score down.
"It is a bad day at the office and we have not had one of them for quite a while to be honest.
"I am not on about results I'm on about performances that were well below what they have produced this season at times."
Next up for Vale is a tie against Rothes at Princess Royal Park before a trip to Buckie the following weekend.
Stewart said: "We have two big games coming up and I think it will shape where we finish in the league this season.
"I have no doubt that the boys will react because they have done it before. It is one thing you can say about this group, they will react.
"It is not about giving them a roasting at training either, it is a case of trying to be positive and moving on."
In the last meeting between the sides in September, Deveronvale beat Rothes 2-0 at Mackessack park.
Stewart added: "The Rothes team at the moment are probably under-achieving for the money they have spent.
"We beat them up there so they will be wanting a bit of revenge for that, so it will be an interesting game."
Deveronvale will be without the suspended Michael Dunn.
