With a free weekend looming due to Vale’s Scottish Cup inactivity, coach Sean Taylor took the opportunity to reflect on the season so far. And he is keen to see the high standards that have been set pushed even further.

He is in his first coaching role after Chris Anderson asked him to come in and help out primarily on the fitness and conditioning side of things. Sean is a personal trainer and strength and conditioning coach in his day job, and played amateur football until recently.

As well as helping out at training, he takes the lead during match day warm ups and after a promising start to the season, he is relishing his new role.

He told us: “It has been great so far. Each week delivers a new challenge and it is great having the responsibility in training and pre-match to work with the players.

“So far we have maybe raised a few eyebrows in the league – a small club in a league where other clubs have bigger budgets at their disposal, but we have created a wonderfully professional environment where players can flourish.

“So far so good but we can do more and it’s only October. It’s a long season and this next spell of matches is crucial for us.”

As fitness coach, Taylor was heavily involved during pre-season training and he now feels that the players are seeing the fruits of their labour.

“A lot of my work pre-season was focused on getting the boys in peak physical fitness ahead of the opening match but we continue to work hard on various conditioning aspects every week.

“The boys are without doubt one of the fittest squads in the league. I take great pride in that and although it has not won us games it has meant we are still playing at full tilt into injury time. But like every aspect of the game we continue to push the players to be fitter, stronger and faster”, he added.

The performance so far this season has been an improvement on the last campaign’s 13^th position, but the staff are eager to ensure standards remain high in order to stay higher up the league.

Taylor said: “We cannot look too far ahead but over the next six weeks we will see where the club is headed for the remainder of the season. Sixth place after the first third of the league is better than where the club was last year but this is a new team with a different culture and we as a staff and playing group will keep pushing each other’s standards week in week out.”

Vale travel to league leaders East Kilbride next before matches against Gretna, Gala Fairydean Rovers, Edinburgh University and Whitehill Welfare.

Garry O’Connor’s Selkirk are the visitors for this weekend’s Border derby at Victoria Park. Vale would do well not to take the Souters lightly as their league position of 14th may be a false one given some of the results they have had and the amount of goals they have scored.

Indeed, if they can manage to tighten up at the back there is evidence to suggest that they could shoot up the table. The last week alone is indicative of their season as a whole – last Saturday’s 4-0 win over our midweek conquerors, BSC Glasgow, was followed up by a 4-3 defeat to Hawick Royal Albert. They have also smashed seven goals past both Gala Fairydean Rovers and East Stirlingshire after losing the first six league fixtures. After 11 games played, Selkirk have the league’s highest goals against tally, whilst also being among the highest scorers.

Nevertheless, they come into this in decent form, with three wins on the bounce before losing to Hawick on Tuesday night. Meanwhile, Vale have lost their last three. A decent enough performance against BSC Glasgow bore no fruit on Wednesday, while the previous two fixtures saw them thumped 9-1 at East Kilbride before restoring some pride with a 2-1 loss at home to the same team.

Speaking after that midweek disappointment, Chris Anderson said: “It is so frustrating to come all the way up here on a Wednesday night, create loads of chances and come away with nothing.

“They are a good side but we wasted a lot of chances.”

Looking ahead to the weekend, he added: “Garry and his staff have done an excellent job in turning around some early season defeats to gain some form coming into the game today.

“Since the Lowland League emerged it has been no secret that the Border clubs have made it their mission to be the top team in the region and we will always look out for the Border derbies as a fixture to look forward to.

“I would like to give credit to my players for their reaction since our Scottish cup defeat. Everyone was disappointed with the performance however throughout the season our reaction to defeats have been excellent and showed the potential of this group to be encouraging.”

Ando is still without injured captain captain James Elliot and fellow centre back Steven Lynch, whilst work commitments has ruled out some more bodies, so the strong squad will continue to be utilised.

BSC Glasgow 2-0 Vale of Leithen

Alloa Athletic manager Jack Ross may be leaving the Indodrill Stadium but BSC Glasgow made sure the three points would not be doing the same last night thanks to two late goals.

They had their full backs to thank, with Gerard Traynor and Shaun Bowers both striking in the last seven minutes to deliver a hammer blow to Vale, who had created enough chances to win several matches.

Chris Anderson bemoaned that, saying: “It is so frustrating to come all the way up here on a Wednesday night, create loads of chances and come away with nothing.

“They are a good side but we wasted a lot of chances.”

Vale threatened first after three minutes, but Blair Atkinson scuffed wide after exchanging passes with Sean Stewart.

BSC were quick at getting forward and there was a period in the first half where they looked the most likely to score, despite Vale having as much possession as them.

Tom Woods shot over after good build up from Traynor and Aidan Ferris, and the same player had one easily held by Jamie Shiel.

Robert Jones was not far away with a quick turn and shot from outside the box, before Vale were forced into two changes just before the half hour.

Ross Brady had to be replaced by Tommy Patterson due to illness, and Jason Stevens was not far behind him. Liam McIntosh was his replacement.

Atkinson almost managed to sneak one in to the top corner from a tight angle after being played in by Stewart.

Patterson could have made himself an instant hero when Stewart laid off to him following good work by McIntosh and Keith McLeod, but the full back aimed too close to the keeper.

Both sides could have seized the initiative before the break. Jones headed over from Matthew Beckett’s cross, before McIntosh missed a great chance after McLeod had held the ball up and played him in.

Jones hit the side netting from close range from another ball in by Beckett, and Ferris tried a lob which was not far over. But other than that it was all Vale for a large part of the second half.

Stewart had been the liveliest player out on the left and he had a shot from the edge before being picked out by Brad Raiker, but again he could not trouble Joe Wilton.

A quick break saw Atkinson slip a pass right for McIntosh who flashed an effort across goal. McLeod was stretching at the far post but did not make it.

Raiker burst forward from right back to find McLeod, but he smashed it well over.

Both full backs were getting forward at will, and Patterson had a volley saved when Atkinson’s blocked shot rebounded back to him.

Atkinson then picked out McLeod with a telling cross from the right, but the big striker was closed down after taking a touch.

People involved with football have seen it many times – a team on top’s failure to score being compounded by losing one, or more, at the other end.

Vale had survived a scare when Jones looked to be clean through, only for Keith Boyes to get back and make a brave block.

But they suffered the agony of conceding straight from a corner on 83 minutes. Traynor’s in-swinger looped up high and went in off the far post.

There was still time to salvage something and McLeod’s knock down was hit straight at Wilton by Atkinson. McIntosh’s cross nearly dropped in the top corner for what would have been another fluke.

The misery was piled on one minute into stoppage time. Jamie Shiel had just made a terrific save to deny Vincent Newlands, but when the substitute retrieved the ball and fed Bowers the right back smashed it across the young keeper and into the bottom corner.

Vale: Shiel, Raiker, Manson, Boyes, Brady (Patterson), Stevens (McIntosh), Lamb, Motion (Edwards), Stewart, McLeod, Atkinson.