Not for the first time this season Team Manger, Tony Gilmour was forced to juggle his available resources and staring line up after losing players to the first team and unavailability. Tony must be in line to join the Magic Circle with his ability to produce players out of thin air, never mind a hat!
Scrum half Taylor Mills was making a welcome return; he was quickly into his stride and throughout played with his usual sparkle. Club stalwarts, Alex Morrison and Dave Harrison were drafted into a squad that contained a number of third and fourth team players, plus new faces from Lancaster University. Such a melange of players made victory taste so much more appetising.
Flanker Karol Kowalski produced a solid performance when he came off the bench. Winger Tom Rogers was allocated a dual role being designated the number one number at line out time, quite like old times when it was the winger’s responsibility for throwing in the ball at the line out.
Prop Alex Cowey once again made his considerable presence felt in the scrums, Gus McSporran was industrious, but in what was a battling team performance back rower Joe Clarkson made an outstanding contribution.
Two early Aaron Melville penalties were off target before the elusive Taylor Mills sniped over for a seventeenth minute for an unconverted try.
Five minutes later Jack in a Box Taylor was at it again. The number nine showed a touch of class and invention when he chipped ahead, caught the ball at full chat for a sensational try to give the Vale a 12-0 half time lead.
Vale quickly extended their lead early in the second half with a forty second minute try and conversion.
Tom Rogers, relieved of his line out duties was perfectly positioned out on his flank to receive the ball at the conclusion of a flowing well executed attack that had started deep in Vale’s half, Tom Slater added the conversion.
In the sixty first minute, replacement Joel Stewart, with literally his first touch of the ball, confidently sprinted away for an unconverted try.
Rochdale’s tenacity was rewarded with an unconverted try after their fired up forwards had heaved the Vale over the whitewash. The Vale’s response came in the shape of a gem of a try from skipper Scott Manning who sliced his way through the visitor’s defence, Tom Slater kicked the conversion.
Vale will resume their Conference B programme April 1 with a home game against a side just above them Preston Grasshoppers 3. Meaning there is plenty of time for Tony to perfect a few more tricks; “Select a card, any card. Is it the 7 of hearts?” “Yes.”