Huntly substitute Robbie Foster grabbed a second-half double to help the Black and Golds come from behind to defeat Deveronvale 3-1 at Princess Royal Park.
Huntly made the better start and had an early Angus Grant strike ruled out for offside before hosts Vale opened the scoring after 21 minutes with a fine strike.
Kyle McKillop-Hall swung a corner to the back post where Dane Ballard produced a superb volley into the roof of the net from an acute angle.
Vale had a couple of good opportunities to increase their lead as Michael Watson lofted the ball over Fraser Hobday from the edge of the box but it also cleared the bar while Ballard just failed to connect a couple of yards from goal with a Horace Ormsby cross.
Huntly created little during the first half but took control of the game with the wind in their favour in the second half.
Foster slotted home from eight yards when Vale failed to clear their lines after 73 minutes before eight minutes later ex-Vale favourite Callum Murray fired home from 16 yards when Vale failed to clear a dangerous free kick into the box.
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Foster sealed the victory for the visitors with a spot-kick four minutes from time after Innes McKay fouled Michael Dangana in the box.
Huntly manager Alan Hale said: “For long periods of the game I thought that it was going to be one of those days when nothing we tried came off but the changes we made paid dividends for us.
“We started the game pretty well and could have been a couple of goals to the good but then we lost our width and made it easy for Vale.
“The second half saw us on the front foot, using the wind to our advantage but we were quite powderpuff in front of goal until the subs came on and made an impact.
“Robbie Foster gave us the width I wanted and he also got a couple of goals which was really pleasing.”
Vale first team coach Grant Noble said: “In the first half we were quite good with the wind in our favour .
“We probably deserved to take at least one other chance but if you don’t get that second goal it makes things a lot more difficult for us.
“We knew Huntly would come at us in the second half and although we lost three goals our trialist keeper didn’t have to much to do.
“The game did change with their substitutions while we are still at the bare bones once again with injuries.
“But we are not using any excuses – had we got the second goal before they scored things could have been different.”
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