Vale began their Conference B campaign with an impressive confidence boosting victory against Sandbach seconds in a high scoring game. A total of thirteen tries were scored in far from perfect conditions with the hosts contributing eight. The gale did not deter the spirit of Vale's creative scum half Ollie Dobson who collected a sparkling hat trick.

Ollie Dobson's partner in crime, stand off Kieron Doyle had a hugely influential game and used his experience to good effect. The back row combination of the fast improving Joe Wallbank, the imperious Danny Lin and skipper Alex Morrison at number eight were outstanding as were the rest of the pack in the loose. Tom Cvijanovic showed his versatility when he moved into the second row at the last minute but unfortunately winger Alistair Richards, who made 78 first team appearances before he left for Germany at the end of the 2010/11 season, could not mark his return to the area with a try.

The Vale enjoyed a thrilling opening quarter, rattling twenty points in defiance of the roaring wind. Kieron Doyle set them in motion with a fifth minute penalty goal followed two minutes later with an unconverted try from another highly rated Vale player, prop Joe Stevens, who mauled his way over from close range.

Tom Crookall is proving to be a most elusive marauding player with a instinct to being where the ball is, and it came as no real surprise when he popped out of a jumble of forwards to poach an unconverted try in the fourteenth minute. Three minutes later the eagle eyed Ollie Dobson spotted a gap and before any one could spot the danger he was long gone, Kieron Doyle added the conversion.

With the Vale in the comfort zone they perhaps relaxed, Sandbach took advantage of the lack of intensity from the hosts by scoring two unconverted tries in the twenty second and thirty first minutes respectively. Thankfully the Vale heeded these warning shots across their bows with a try from Danny Lin immediately after the second Sandbach score to complete the first half scoring.

Facing the "Roaring Forties" the Vale scored what was considered the most important try of the game when Kieron Doyle broke away to touch down between the posts and put over the conversion in the forty fifth minute. The impish Oliver Dobson increased Vale's score four minutes later when he broke from a scrum to again outsprint the cover for an unconverted try.

Again Vale left the door ajar for Sandbach, who nipped in for a couple of tries. The visitors pack were tremendously strong in the set scrums and were able to compress the Vale and through their efforts one try was created in the fifty fifth minute, while the other came after the Vale had left their right flank horribly exposed and vulnerable, this try was converted in the seventieth minute.

There was to be no dramatic headline catching conclusion because the Vale regrouped and from a line out Tom Cvijanovic surged powerfully over for an unconverted try. It was fitting for the Vale that Ollie Dobson should have their last word with another polished individual try that showcased his pace and improvisation. In the closing minutes the Sandbach forwards dug deep to quarry out a converted try, on a day that belonged to the home side.