Despite making five changes from the team which beat Preston Athletic, this was an assured and commanding performance from the improving Gala team last Wednesday.

Gala boss Steven Noble said: “I thought we played some good football at times tonight and deserved the win.

“We have a big squad and players will come in and drop out but everyone is competing well for their place.

“All I ask of the players is to keep improving and they are all are doing that.” Threadbare Vale, who had former Berwick boss Ian Little and Lamb’s assistant Jimmy Rae amongst the three outfield substitutes, started brightly against the high-flying Fairydean Rovers.

A Jack Blaikie header on four minutes was palmed away by keeper John Dodds only for John Ferguson to slam the loose ball into the net.

The lead was to only last eight minutes as man-of-the-match Daryl Devlin managed to poke home the equaliser from just inside the area.

The visitors edged in front on 18 minutes with Stuart Noble heading home Lee Stephen’s pin-point cross from close range.

Only some excellent saves from Mark Wilson kept Vale in the game approaching half time.

But the third goal arrived just before the hour with David Bonnar’s deep cross floating over the keeper and defenders to present Sean Paliczka with a simple back post header.

A Jamie Gibson strike on 63 minutes made sure of victory.

Vale did attempt a late rally with substitute Little adding a bit of bite around the final third, but Dodds was rarely troubled.

Vale boss Mark Lamb isn’t too concerned at his team’s poor start to the season - as he’s been there before.

Lamb, who was celebrating his 47th birthday, told us: “You will have heard these excuses a hundred times but I can’t afford to be without my best players and I am just now.

“I had four or five missing on Saturday - another four tonight - and when one or two come back from holiday others are going away.

“I can’t wait to see the back of August but I also know that I need more players.

“I’ve been in this position before. When I went to Berwick there were no players and there was no budget ,yet I assembled a decent squad of young players - I’m having to do that again. It will take time but we will grow, get better and we will start winning games.” Vale of Leithen: M Wilson, R Sclater, R Scanlan (E Sanderson 41), J Elliot, J Blaikie, S Campbell, C Anderson, K O’Brien (I Little 78), G Tulloch, J Stevens & J Ferguson.

Gala Fairydean Rovers: J Dodds, L Stephens, G Robinson, P Hossack (R Noble 80), A Cosgrove, D Devlin, R Aitchison, D Bonnar (D McColm 65), J Gibson, S Paliczka & S Noble (A Langford 60).