Three and easy for top-of-the-table Vale

Published 11 Sep 2009 08:00 0 Comments

See also:

Vale of Leithen 3 v 0 Kelso United

HAVING suffered a nightmare with injuries since arriving at the club, Vale's Ger Rossi perhaps only half-jokingly listed his ambition in life as, 'To play 90 minutes,' in his player profile in the match programme.

But since returning from the latest one that delayed his start to the season, the striker has been a revelation and not only realised his life's ambition in this match, but ensured Vale went three points clear at the top of the First Division table with two well-taken goals.

Recent meetings between these two teams have tended to be tight, rugged affairs, but despite a slow start to the match, Vale won comfortably enough against a Kelso side who were missing several players and looked a shadow of the side that ran Vale close at Woodside Park a few weeks ago.

A decent sized crowd had to wait more than quarter of an hour into the game for the first attempt on goal, when Vale's Aaron Somerville blasted a lay-off from new signing Dean Jones wide of the upright.

Shortly afterwards, Kelso went close as a free kick from Mark Lockhart deflected off the defensive wall and squirmed just wide.

Vale had plenty of possession without putting Kelso goalkeeper Scott Dowie under any real pressure, but found a way through to take the lead in the 25th minute as a slick passing move through the visitors defence ended with Andy Martin firing over a cross, which was turned in by Somerville.

Five minutes later, Somerville volleyed a Martin corner just over and a Paul Greenhill rocket from 25 yards was tipped over by Dowie as Vale went in search of a second.

Three minutes from half time they managed to find it, with another piece of good football.

Jones set Gavin Tainsh off down the right, who slipped the ball into the path of Martin. Martin's perfectly flighted cross was met by Geri Rossi, who dived to head home.

It was a deserved lead at half time as Vale had been the better side, and the second half continued in the same vein.

A Tainsh cross was met by Somerville, but his first time strike was met by an astonishing point-blank save by Dowie, who turned it round the post.

But Dowie was given no chance in the 57th minute as Rossi received the ball from Martin and flighted a delightful shot in off the far post. It was the killer goal and the game reverted to type for the final half hour, with a rash of bookings for some late tackles from both sides.

Kelso began to pick their game up a bit and saw more of the ball, but couldn't find a way through a Vale backline which must have been happy to record a clean sheet after a recent tendency to let in some soft goals.

Vale of Leithen: D. Walker, G. Tainsh, G. Shortreed (P. Lee 48), M. Stewart, John Hall, P. Greenhill, D. Jones (Josh Hall 63), A. Martin, G. Rossi, A. Munro, A. Somerville (S. Moffat 68).

Kelso United: S. Dowie, B. Wilson, C. Edwards, S. Phillips, S. Tait, A. Oldham, S. Harker, N. McGurn (E. Whittle 63), B. Rayson (C. Faulkner 78), D. Sanderson, M. Lockhart.

This article appeared in Peeblesshire News 11 Sep 09

Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our Sport archives.

Peeblesshire News Poll

Are you in favour of wind farms?

This Poll is now closed.

Yes (70.0%)

No (30.0%)

Follow @peeblesnews