Jack Henderson’s brace sealed a 2-0 win for Banks o’ Dee over Deveronvale -and kept up an unbeaten start at home for the Breedon Highland League new boys.
Dee went into the game in fifth place – 10 places above their visitors – and had only dropped two points at Spain Park before Wednesday.
Vale, meanwhile, had only picked up two points away from home, but were boosted by Jamie Tinnock being fit enough for the bench.
The visitors had the first chance when Horace Ormsby took the ball away from Alasdair Stark on the left flank, before feeding Antonio Jam. However, Jam side-footed his close-range effort straight to Dee keeper Ross Salmon.
It was to prove the only chance of an opening half-hour where Dee had a lot of the ball but were sloppy with it, while Vale looked like they could be a danger on the break.
Former top-flight midfielder, and ex-Formartine boss, Paul Lawson looked to be struggling in midfield and departed for Dee on 31 minutes, with Mark Gilmour replacing him.
Soon after, Ormsby got the better of Stark again, but his Vale team-mate Dane Ballard couldn’t get enough of a touch on the wideman’s cut-back.
Up the other end, Neil Gauld – needing two more goals to beat Cammy Keith’s Highland League tally of 351 – fired into the right side netting in Dee’s first effort of substance.
The home side took the lead on 37 minutes, though, Henderson receiving possession on the Vale 18-yard line from Gilmour, and rolling a finish beyond Sean McIntosh into the bottom left corner.
Dee now had a grip on proceedings, but – on the stroke of the half – goalie Salmon had to backpedal to claw away a cross-goal effort from Vale full-back Harry Noble which was struck from the angle of the box.
The Aberdeen side started the second half with purpose, Hamish Macleod stinging McIntosh’s palms at the near post on 51 minutes.
Gauld must have thought he had one of the goals he needed four minutes later, but McIntosh denied the forward from point-blank range, before denying Henderson his brace in similar fashion seconds afterwards.
Vale had a half-chance to equalise as the game entered its final half-hour when Ballard met Noble’s cross from the left, but a looping header from 14 yards dropped comfortably for Salmon.
Gilmour was very close to sealing the three points for Dee on 80 minutes, zinging a right-footed strike beyond McIntosh and off the crossbar from 20 yards.
Henderson did confirm their victory on 85 minutes, however, striding through and lifting the ball beyond McIntosh and into the net.
At the death, Gilmour – who had a hand in both Dee goals after coming on – almost got his name on the scoresheet, but his header into the ground from a corner bounced over the bar.
Dee travel to Buckie Thistle on Saturday, before their punishing run continues with away (Aberdeenshire Shield) and home clashes against Fraserburgh.
Vale are at home to Rothes this weekend.
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