OCTOBER may have been a month similar to one long Hallowe'en nightmare for Vale of Lune - but they made sure that November started with fireworks thanks to a fantastic win over Middlesbrough.

Vale snatched the win on Teesside in the fourth minute of stoppage time to celebrate maximum points in style.

Trailing 16-14 with stoppage time virtually up, stand-off Neil Bennetts plucked a high pass out of the air before passing to Vale skipper Ian Bird.

He then powered his way through two tackles to plunge over the line, leaving Donovan Sanders with the chance of a conversion - a chance he was never likely to pass up.

That seven-point salvo handed Vale only their second league win of the season and was well deserved after they began the game at a brisk tempo.

But despite their early endeavour, Vale went behind to a sloppy try 15-minutes into the game.

Boro extended the lead with a penalty but Vale hit back after 29 minutes ad the forwards and backs combined brilliantly to create space for Sanders to cross the whitewash. He con-verted his own try easily.

Middlesbrough extended their lead before the interval with another penalty and the advantage was pushed to nine points shortly after the restart thanks to another try as Vale dosed for a moment.

Vale were not to be beaten, however, and they recovered their composure as prop Andrew Sutcliffe crowned an outstanding performance with a try snatched the lineout.

Sanders then booted the conversion through the middle from a tight angle to reduce the deficit and set up the grandstand finish.

Some four minutes stoppage time was allowed - and Vale exploited that to the hilt to claim their win thanks to a never say die attitude and outstanding captain Bird.

VALE: Smith; Doherty (Blackburn 50), Sanders, Bird, Bryan; Bennetts, Huntington; Jackson, Allan (Rickerby 65), Sutcliffe, Farnworth, Rous; McHugh, Darwen, Fowler.