A VALE of Lune team minus a number of regulars contrived to lose a league game for the first time this year at Sheffield.
It was a match which the locals could and should have won - but the determined home side gave everything to hold on for an 18-12 verdict despite going down to 14 men in the closing stages.
It was a seventh North One League reverse of the campaign for Vale - against a side they had put 30 points on in October.
Everything had looked rosy for the locals within a minute of the kick off as centre Kevin Gardner rounded off an attack by touching down for an unconverted try.
After Sheffield had a player sin-binned for a professional foul on 23 minutes, Vale took advantage to send Ben Latham over for a second score from a tap penalty.
James Moore added the extras for a 12-0 lead and a rouit seemed on the cards again - but that was as good as it got for the Lancaster side.
Sheffield, haunted by relegation worries at the wronf end of the table, came right back to score a converted try and add two penalties to go in at half time with a slender 13-12 advantage.
And the hosts continued to hold the upper hand early in the second period, once more stretching Vale to score an unconverted try in the 49th minute.
When Sheffield saw a player dismissed for two yellow card offences it was the signal for Vale to press forward again.
But this time they were unable to break down a resolute defence to add to their points tally.
VALE: Blackburn, Bryan, Gardner, Bird, Brookes, Moore, Huntingdon (Miller 74), Jackson, Rickerby (Sutcliffe 61), Latham, Baines (Darwen 47), Yates, Hoyle, McHugh, Fowler.
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