There was more than a nip in the air at Newcastle Road. There was a sense of the possible, if not the probable. On the back of a good win, the Vale first XV entered the arena as favourites. Strengthened by the return, albeit temporary, of Vale stars; Isaac Quarry and Henry Clifton, this fearless Vale side began by bombarding the Crewe & Nantwich men with countless phases of forward possession. Half-hearted attempts at tackles brought the inevitable, as Sam Wallbank blasted his way through the final ten metres to open the account. Damon Hall converted, and the die was cast.

The Cheshire backs made the most of their chance to respond. A passage of slick passing along the right flank presented the C&N No.6 to score. The conversion kick hit the upright and the lead remained with the Vale. The Vale back row claimed the upper hand and effectively controlled the game. The Vale's second try came from their penalty/lineout/driving maul tactic, with Andy Powers popping up at several stages, including the final touch. The half time whistle arrived with the tally at 5-12 to the visitors.

Replacements were brought on to shake up the pattern, particularly in the backs. The threat was immediate, and under pressure, the C&N defenders committed a high tackle on their twenty-two-metre line. Hall obliged with a penalty goal to extend the lead. Winger Jack Macfarlane made his first team debut and took no time to adapt. His confidence, hunger for the ball and ability to menace his opponents applied ever greater pressure. Once again, the Vale forwards expertly drove a maul over the try line, again under the spell of the 'magical' Powers.

Vale loose head prop, Archie Fowler, renowned for claiming the hard yards, helped himself to ten yards, then another fifteen. Scrum half Jack Batty spotted opportunities unseen by others. He tormented the beleaguered C&N forwards with darting runs, pinpoint passing and high lofted kicks. A snappy sequence of play along the left flank, gave a jubilant Ben Keenan his first try, only to be ruled out by the man with the flag, for a sideline encroachment way back in the move. This setback could not impede the rampant Vale. Within seconds, they reclaimed the ball for captain Jack Ayrton to dive over.

The fourth try and the healthy lead near to the end of the game afforded maximum NW2 league points. A consolation try for C&N was still hard earned but ultimately did not alter the division of the spoils. For the travelling faithful, it was a treat to watch their team play with such fire, commitment and evident enjoyment. This is a body of young men who give their all for each other, performing at a standard to evoke unease in any opponent.

Difficult as it was, in such an all-round impressive display, to nominate a Man-of-the-Match, there was a strong case for choosing Jack Batty in light of his mercurial skills. The Xmas break comes at a time when momentum would have been beneficial. However, when Douglas I.O.M. come to Powder House Lane on the 4th of January, they will have their work cut out.

Team: A. Fowler, A. Powers, R. Pillow, G. Oyston, J. Sutcliffe, H. Fellows, M. Goodman, J. Ayrton (c), S. Wallbank, J. Batty, J. Silverwood, I. Quarry, D. Leighton, C. Ramwell, D. Hall, H. Clifton. Reps: R. Pillow, B. Keenan, J. Macfarlane.

Pictured: Ebullient Vale 1st team debutante, Jack Macfarlane.