The only Vale 1st XV home match in February was blessed with both a break in the rain, and the energetic support of two hundred local Farmers. Vale legend Ged Foster was the guest of honour.

Injury took Kurt Gledhill off the team sheet, but Olly Jacques made a welcome return after his surgical tribulations. As Harm Doktor's recovery nears completion, Joe Lashley made his 1st XV debut at hooker.

Referee Callum Folan signalled the commencement, with Douglas in yellow and maroon, playing toward the clubhouse end. The visitors' lively start put Vale under pressure to defend. Douglas found their path through with a chip-and-chase and an opening try. Vale shook off this setback with some coordinated possession in midfield. Centre Jamie Mayall took a pass on the Douglas twenty-two metre line. He boldly held off three challenges to score to the left of the posts.

The Vale's tried and tested sequence of lineout/maul was expertly driven fifteen metres and placed over the try line by flanker Sam Walton for a Vale lead. The same forwards' plan worked once more in a similar spot, again with Walton adding the crucial downward pressure. Half time came with the score at 19 - 7 to the Vale.

Both Vale props were rested, and Joe Crompton and Matt Mount maintained output, whilst Olly Jacques came on in the back line. Douglas again came out with vigour. Their forwards pounded the Vale line until a narrow shaft of light appeared and their second try brought the gap on Bruce's scoreboard to only five points.

A ten minute sentence was awarded to a Douglas man, giving the Vale a player advantage. The subsequent period of play all happened in the Douglas half. The Vale kept their heads and gradually moved play toward the Douglas line. Every metre had to be hard earned, and it was.

Nerves among the faithful were settled when the unstoppable No. 8 Sam Wallbank powered through the Douglas defence to score the Vale's vital fourth try, with two Douglas men still clinging onto him. Some unsavoury contact took place before Wallbank got to his feet. He reacted, and Mr Folan saw enough to dismiss Wallbank with a yellow card.

Douglas showed admirable resolve right to the end. A late try in the right corner made it respectable, but the Vale held their ground for the full five league points, denying Douglas anything to show for their efforts. As they had begun the day in third and fourth places in NW2, such details could prove crucial in the season's play-off reckoning.

Vale hit the road once more next Saturday with a fixture at Northwich, Cheshire. All kick off times now revert to 3pm for the remainder of the season.

(Match Day Sponsors: Brabners LLP)

Team: A. Fowler, J. Lashley, R. Pillow, H. Fellows, J. Sutcliffe, S. Walton, S. Wallbank, J. Ayrton (c), B. Swarbrick, H. Finan, J. McFarlane, J. Mayall, A. Bolton, D. Leighton, R. Busby. Reps: J. Crompton, O. Jacques, M. Mount.

Photo: Vale debutante, Joe Lashley .