North made to wait

Vale Rec 1, North 0

THE Priaulx League championship lives on, perhaps for a few more weeks yet. Vale played the role of party-poopers to perfection in the Corbet Field mud yesterday afternoon and Marc Rihoy's 53rd-minute goal sent the big North contingent back up the Grand Fort Road with faces as long as the road itself.

And nobody enjoyed the entertainment more than the Saints supporters in the 200-strong crowd.

The result leaves them with the task of beating Belgraves (tomorrow night), Rangers on 27 March and North on 3 April to snatch the title from under the Northerners' noses.

If, in the meantime, Saints do not slip up, North, who failed miserably to cope with heavy conditions not seen at the Corbet for many a year, will need to avoid defeat in their final game to win that first title in 12 years.

Ray Blondel, the Vale manager who this week signalled the end of his second spell as boss, delighted in a long-awaited win over their near neighbours.

'It's the first time in three years I've been in charge that a team of mine has beaten North,' he said.

Blondel added that Vale's steely performance should not have been considered a surprise.

'There was no way we were just going to lie down and let them have the title.

'If we now beat Sylvans twice, we get a Wheway spot.'

A dejected Geoff Tardif would not be drawn into the debate as to whether the game should have gone ahead or not.

'It was down to the ref,' he said, adding: 'It was a great leveller.'

North simply got bogged down in conditions more reminiscent of the fifties and sixties.

The visitors created very little and their best chance of the game came as early as the 15th minute when Jody Bisson spilled a corner and Tom Duff headed wastefully over from close range.

At the other end, Vale screamed for a penalty when Matt Patch went down under Stuart Polson's 25th-minute challenge, but got the decisive goal they deserved when Jamie Blondel and John Baudains combined down the left and the latter produced an excellent cross for Rihoy to race in and head past Paul de Garis.

Vale twice went close to adding to that lead.

Steve Ozanne very nearly put through his own net and as de Garis flapped at Blondel's cross from the left, there were those among the crowd and on the pitch who thought the ball had crossed the line.

In Saturday's matches, St Martin's kept their hopes alive with a 1-0 defeat of Rovers at Port Soif.

Etienne Ogier hit the solitary goal, his third of the season.

At St Andrew's, Sylvans beat Rangers 4-2, thanks to goals from Ryan Tippett (two), Matt Warren and Danny Watts. Tim Bichard hit both goals for the home side.