Lossiemouth 2 Deveronvale 3: Crucial Highland League win for Vale after Coasters hit back from two goals down to level
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Deveronvale grabbed the Highland League win they so badly needed in their battle to stay away from the Highland League relegation areas.
Vale ended a run of seven defeats and a draw in their last eight by defeating hosts Lossiemouth 3-2 on Saturday.
The Coasters showed their battling qualities to hit back from a poor first half hour when they conceded twice to level the scores after 60 minutes.
The home side then pushed for a winner but it came at the other end as a cruel own goal gave Vale the the three points they craved.
Watch Deveronvale's winning strike.
Vale were purposeful in their approach to the game in the opening half hour and dominated proceedings.
They struck the woodwork on nine minutes, Jaydan Bradford's free kick being helped on by centre back Innes McKay into the path of Horace Ormsby, who rattled a shot off the left hand post.
A minute later there was a loud claim by Vale for a penalty when Ryan farquhar slid in on Matt Jamieson in the box, but referee Alan Proctor waved away the appeals.
Lossie's first threat on 17 minutes saw Ross Morrison break on the right and cross to the back post, where Ross Elliot's volley looked destined for the net until Vale captain Harry Noble popped up with a goal-line clearance.
Three minutes later the visitors deservedly went in front when McKay again created a chance for Ormsby from a setpiece, and this time he fired under keeper Logan Ross and the ball squirmed over the line.
Vale had a spring in their step at this stage of the game and it was no big surprise when they added to their lead on 26 minutes.
Jamieson played the ball over from the left side and Ormsby got the shout from team-mate Mikey Watson to let the ball run to him on the right side of the box, and Watson duly fired it past Ross to make it 2-0.
The Coasters were on the ropes at this point in the game and they were lucky to survive a second penalty shout on 28 minutes when Niall Kennedy seemed to connect with Jamieson in the area, but once again there was no finger pointing to the spot from ref Proctor.
Dane Ballard then curled wide following good work by the impressive Ormsby on the right as Vale carried the game to their hosts.
However there was a turning point in the contest on 34 minutes when Lossiemouth scored their opening goal right out of the blue.
Ross Elliot broke down the left and fired over a cross looking for team-mate Fraser Forbes in the centre. Vale skipper Harry Noble tried to intercept but only succeeded in deflecting the ball past his own keeper Sean McIntosh.
There was still time in the first 45 minutes for Vale to press for another goal and Ben Allan had an effort cleared off the line as the away side finished the half on top.
Lossie had slight wind advantage in the second half and there was a sense that they could find a way back in the game.
For all Vale's dominance in the first half, the goal they conceded had created a nervy edge to their play which their hosts seized upon. Elliot was looking lively and cut across from the left side to curl an effort just over.
However on the hour mark it was 2-2 when Vale partially cleared a free kick but Ryan Stuart floated a left foot cross over from the right and Elliot met it with a floated volley which dropped just inside the back post.
The pendulum had now swung Lossiemouth's way, even after Ballard glanced a header wide from a Watson cross in a rare Vale second half breakaway.
To Deveronvale's credit, they defended resolutely from a number of balls played into their penalty area.
the match was heading towards stalemate when Vale won a free kick midway inside the Lossie half and brought on substitute Kyle Mackillop-Hall at the same time, the player known to pack some threat at setpieces.
But instead of take the kick, Mackillop-Hall peeled off wide and skipper Noble feinted a possible shot to play in the substitute, who drilled the ball across and forced the retreating Ross Morrison to attempt a clearance and instead divert the ball past his own keeper for a third Vale goal.
That proved to be the winner, though there was still time for Lossie to carve out two more chances at the other end.
Centre half Dean Stewart had propelled himself into attack at the death and he firstly glanced a corner kick wide, then passed up a second opportunity when the ball appeared to get stuck between his feet in the danger area deep into stoppage time.
Lossiemouth: Ross, Farquhar, Leslie, Stewart, J Kennedy, L Archibald, N Kennedy, Morrison, Elliot (MacLeod 76), Stuart (R Archibald 85), Forbes. Subs: O'Halloran, Weir, McAndrew, Sim.
Deveronvale: McIntosh, Goldie, H Noble, Hay, McKay, Bradford, Ormsby, Allan, Ballard, Jamieson (Jam 81), Watson (Mackillop-Hall 88). Subs: Bashua, Angus, Read, G Noble, Shingler.
Referee: A. Proctor
