Elton Vale...3 Rochdale Sacred Heart...2 - AFTER conceding two late goals the previous week Vale saw their fortunes reversed as they themselves notched two goals in the last three minutes to snatch an unlikely Manchester League victory.

In what was for most of the time a mundane and scrappy affair, Elton striker Derek Watson stood out impressively following a stylish individual performance, that was rewarded with two goals that take him to joint top of the division's scoring charts.

The expected physical encounter soon materialised as challenges from both sets of players came thick and fast, with several yellow cards not far behind them.

Vale had a golden opportunity to open the scoring within thirty seconds of the start, but when the ball found Paul Owen some fifteen yards out he hoisted his shot over the crossbar.

Heart then began to look dangerous on the break with strike partners Steve Holt and Anthony Pauls proving to be willing runners up front, and Elton's defence had their work cut out to keep them in check.

But with very few chances at either end, it took a goal of spectacular proportions to break the deadlock in the 25th minute.

Watson collected the ball just inside the Rochdale half and set off towards goal, jinking past three opponents in the process, and as more defenders backed off, he let fly from twenty five yards with such power that 'keeper Stephen Dunne was still rooted to the spot when the ball hit the net.

The celebrations had hardly died down though before Rochdale equalised.

Chris Humphreys sliding in to meet a low cross and diverting the ball into the net, less than a minute after he had almost hit the target in a similar move.

The visitors then took the lead in the 42nd minute when a clever through ball breached the Elton back line, and although Holt was ushered wide of goal by Steve Crossley he was still able to drag the ball back and pick out Jamie Sarsfield who drove it into the net.

The visitors almost went 3-1 up in the very first minute of the second half, but Holt's vicious low shot was tipped onto a post by Crossley who then saw the ball bounce back across the open goal and into the safety of his arms.

Having rode their luck on that occasion, it was now the Fold's turn to rue their missed chances, the best of which fell to Steve Smith who received Anthony Doran's precision pass just inside the penalty box but with only Dunne to beat, Smith stumbled and fell, and the chance was gone.

Doran himself was then the next victim when, gifted with the freedom of the six yard line, his diving header from just inches above the ground somehow lopped up over the bar. Watson meanwhile could feel justifiably aggrieved as his downward header was bang on target, but a tremendous save from Dunne saw him scoop the ball up off the goal line with all the Elton players in the vicinity claiming that it had crossed the line.

The visitors, lying third from bottom and heavily involved in the struggle to avoid relegation, now seemed content to defend in numbers to protect their lead, and they looked to have done just that but with ninety minutes now on the clock, Vale grabbed the leveller.

The ball was swung over from a corner and when it wasn't cleared, Smith was on hand to scramble it past Dunne for ten yards, much to the relief of the home contingent.

There was still time to score the winner though and in the very next attack Chris Hopkins was brought down close to the angle of the penalty box for a free kick, although Elton vainly appealed for a penalty. But it wasn't to matter where the kick was to be taken from, for when Stefan Shaw curled it over the back post, Watson climbed head and shoulders above everyone else to powerfully head home.

TEAM: Crossley 7, Slater 7, Doran 6, Dearden 6, Hopkins 7, Owen 6, Shaw 6, Wilkes 6, Keegan 5, Watson 9, Smith 6, Subs: Malious (for Owen, 70 mins) 6, Price (for Dearden, 70 mins) 6, Read (for Keegan , 82 mins), Armstrong (not used).