Vale move up to 2nd

Vale Rec 3, Sylvans 2

FIVE defensive mistakes led to all the goals as Vale Rec beat Sylvans to move up to second place in the Cable & Wireless Priaulx League last night at the Corbet Field. Rec's three goals all came via Sylvans' defence making schoolboy errors.

The two the home side conceded were own goals from their unlucky centre half Malcolm Symons. All the goals arrived in the first 35 minutes.

'Very pleased, their performance and work rate was great,' said Johnny Reid, standing in for Rec coach Chris Hamon, who was absent with the flu.

'It's about getting the ball into the box and that's what happened. Their two goals came from our mistakes but we didn't give them time to play.

'Everyone put their effort in,' added the Irishman.

The home side took the lead in the seventh minute when Sylvans' central defender Ben Duff gifted Gareth Holden the ball and the Rec striker had no problems smacking the ball home.

Sylvans equalised 10 minutes later after Symons tried to keep out a deflected Danny Watts shot but only succeeded in putting it in his own net.

Before long Rec were back in the lead. Duff again lost the ball and Marc Rihoy's shot took another deflection into the goal.

On the 26th minute mark, Holden got his second after Duff's defensive partner, Tom Strawbridge, gave the ball away in a very dangerous area.

Then, 10 minutes, before half time, a Sam Matthews shot was seemingly headed wide of the Rec goal before it ricocheted in off Symons.

One plus point for Sylvans was the peformance of Blane Queripel who was lively all match down the left flank.

The win leapfrogged Vale over now fourth-placed Sylvans into second in the table on 20 points from 11 games. Vale are level with North who remain top with a greater goal difference and two games in hand.

Vale Rec: J. Bisson; Elliott, Symons, Sarahs, Woodhead; Rihoy (Gibbons 80), Coquelin, S. Bisson (Austen 85), Ogier (Romeril 57); Abbott, Holden.

Sylvans: de Garis; Bass, Strawbridge, B. Duff, O'Regan; Matthews, T. Duff, Brehaut (Bateman 85), Queripel; Moherndl (Beacom 80), Watts (Renouf 68).