A very welcome 3 points lifted Whitehill to 3rd place in the EOSPL.
Manager Rab Paget was forced to make several changes after last week’s match at Bo’ness and in-form Vale looked certain to test Welfare’s depleted squad. Vale themselves were without key midfielder Jordan Hall who was suspended.

Whitehill started smartly and in 6 minutes McIntosh hit the side netting from a McCulloch pass. Then Sproule gained a free kick which Herd took but the ball was deflected for a corner.
At the other end a good chance for the Vale went a-begging as the ball was lobbed over Walker’s goal. But play soon resumed at the Vale end, and Vale keeper Mark Wilson tipped over a Robertson free kick, before having to deal with a deflection from his own centre-half.
On the break, the Vale no 10 headed wide, but a Whitehill goal was coming, and McIntosh had a header cleared off the line in 22 minutes. A minute later a cross from the right by Robertson was headed powerfully home by top scorer McIntosh.

Half time approached with only the one goal to show for all Welfare’s superiority and keeper Wilson, who was having a blinder, made another superb stop from a Robertson free kick. Just before the interval Sproule went past the keeper and fell to the ground in what looked a stonewall penalty. However the referee, after consulting the nearside linesman, booked Sproule for simulation.

Straight from the restart Whitehill doubled their lead as McIntosh flicked home a Sproule cross and the 3 points began to look safe. However seven minutes later Vale grabbed a goal back in a rare attack.
Vale’s hope only lasted 3 minutes as Sproule dribbled into the box and was clipped by Wilson as he squared to McIntosh. The referee appeared to wait for the advantage before pointing to the spot, and McIntosh made it 3-1, sending Wilson the wrong way.
Two minutes later it was nearly 4-1 in the strengthening wind as a Manson drive was tipped over. The goal was only delayed a minute as Sinclair intercepted a weak pass from Wilson, cut in from the left and finished well.
Aaron Somerville was booked for dissent following a robust challenge by Devlin.
With the game safe, substitute Louis Swanson was given his first appearance. Vale were awarded a penalty with 20 minutes left and up stepped Scott Devlin who had scored 5 times from the spot this season. However his low shot was saved by Darren Walker at his right post.
With 5 minutes to go Vale were reduced to 10 men as the no 3 earned his second yellow card.
Whitehill team: Walker; Herd (Young 76), Hall, W.Kidd, Thom; Sproule, D.Robertson, Somerville (Swanson 69), Manson; McIntosh, McCulloch (Sinclair).