Brora Rangers started their defence of the Highland League title in impressive fashion beating Deveronvale 5-0 at Princess Royal Park.
It was a dominant display from the Cattachs who produced a feast of attacking football that was too much for Vale to cope with.
Paul Brindle bagged a brace while Mark Nicolson, Andrew Macrae and Ally Macdonald also on target.
The champions looked to make a quick start and threatened in the opening minute with John Pickles’ low cross from the right finding Jordan MacRae, but his shot was deflected over for a fruitless corner.
In the fourth minute Macdonald got forward down the left flank and teed up Andrew Macrae with his fierce strike from the edge of the area crashing back off the crossbar.
It was a dominant start from the visitors and Dale Gillespie also sent an effort narrowly wide from long range and he worked goalkeeper Gavin Still with another strike from 25 yards in the 11th minute.
Still was in the action again three minutes later having to block at the near post from Andrew Macrae following a Gillespie corner.
Vale’s first foray forward of note ended with Ryan Farquhar getting down the left flank but finding no takers with his cross.
Brora were a matter of millimetres away from opening the scoring in the 20th minute when Macdonald’s half-volley from 20 yards bounced down off the underside of the bar, with officials ruling the ball hadn’t crossed the line.
On 26 minutes Still made another fine stop to turn away Macdonald’s close range effort following good work from Jordan MacRae and Andrew Macrae.
But from the corner which followed Gillespie’s inswinging delivery from the left was headed home by Nicolson at the back post.
It took more last-ditch defending from the Banffers to keep it at one in the moments that followed.
But on the half hour mark Deveronvale spurned a fine chance to equalise with Kyle Gauld lifting a shot well over from six yards from Harry Noble’s corner.
Brora’s front four were a constant threat and Brindle’s cross-cum-shot may have found the net but for Noble’s goal-line clearance.
The Cattachs could have been more than just one goal ahead at half-time, but it took just 20 seconds of the second period for them to double their lead.
Jordan MacRae laid the ball off for Brindle, whose first time pass released Andrew Macrae through the middle and he coolly fired into the bottom right corner.
Brora continued to assert their dominance with Jordan MacRae shooting wide from close range and Gillespie curling a free-kick over.
Just after the hour Scott Dunn wasted an opportunity to pull one back for Deveronvale. After being played in down the left the striker was bearing down on goal when he hit the turf rather than having a shot as Pickles chased back.
Referee Filippo Mazzoni ruled that it wasn’t a penalty with everyone inside the ground wondering why Dunn hadn’t taken a shot.
In the 62nd minute Brindle secured victory for Brora when he touched home MacRae’s curling cross from the left to make it 3-0.
The champions were in no mood to let up with Macdonald heading home Gillespie’s corner from the left for their fourth in the 67th minute and it was no more than their play deserved.
Brora’s set pieces caused alarm for Vale throughout and on another day they could have profited more from the pinpoint deliveries of Gillespie.
In the closing stages sub Bjorn Wagenaar had a low drive saved by Still and with a minute remaining it became 5-0 when Brindle got to a through ball ahead of Still and lobbed it into the empty net.
One consolation for Deveronvale was striker Dane Ballard coming on for the final quarter. He spent over 18 months on the sidelines with a knee injury and was only just returning to action when last season was curtailed in March and Vale will hope he can get back his best this season.
