Coming hard on the heels of a defeat at Stockport the Vale stormed back to record an emphatic victory against Liverpool St Helens and in doing so register their highest point’s total of the season so far.
There was a more familiar look to the Vale’s squad with a number of regulars returning but it was newcomer David Haigh from Macclesfield who made an impact, scoring a try, involved in the build-up to others and collecting a yellow card.
There was also a classy performance from one of the Vale’s talented younger players, Damon Hall, who has been a regular on the score sheet at Queens University, Belfast. Playing at scrum half Hall’s pace proved too much for the visitors when he romped over for a first half hat trick.
Vale opened the scoring in the second minute with an attack involving James Curran, Josh O’Donnell and Damon Hall, with the King of Slopes, James Curran completing the move with a try, converted by the in-form goal kicker Sean Coulshed.
Scott Foy, who made an outstanding contribution throughout, broke away for a try which Sean Coulshed converted in the tenth minute. Damon scored the first of his tries with a darting solo run two minutes later which Sean Coulshed again converted.
There was no holding the effervesant Hall who chipped over the heads of the defenders and then won the race for the touchdown for an unconverted try in the sixteenth minute. In a half dominated by the Vale it came as no surprise that Damon Hall should complete the scoring with a rocket assisted try with four minutes remaining.
Vale altered their threequarter line up for the second half with David Haigh swapping places with Jimmy Birchall in the centre and the change brought an immediate reaction after two minutes when David Haigh made the initial break. Kieran Doyle came up in support before the debutant went over, Sean Coulshed added the extras.
While David Haigh was sitting in the naughty chair Liverpool St Helens scored their only try but the Vale remained firmly in control and ended with a flourish added two more tries in the closing five minutes.
In the seventy fifth minute Andy Muir confidently sprinted away for a quality try converted by Sean Coulshed. Just before the whistle Kieran marked his return with a try after David Haigh had breached the visitor’s line. Sean clipped over the conversion at the end of a productive shift from the fullback.
In addition to the contributions of David Haigh, Scott Foy, Damon Hall, and Sean Coulshed, Isaac Turton proved to be a prodigious worker in all areas of the field.
S Coulshed; D Haigh, J Antcliffe, J Birchall, J Curran; K Doyle, D Hall; J O’Donnell, P Watson (Capt), A Morrison; D Rainford, A Foxcroft; R Randall, I Turton, S Foy. Replacements: A Muir, P Jackson, M Field.