VALE of Leven's season fizzled out as a late Royal Albert goal clinched the three points for the hosts on Saturday at Gasworks Park. Vale travelled to Royal Albert knowing that promotion was no longer achievable but the visitors took the lead through Alan Brown in the 18th minute with his effort from the edge of the box.

However, the Vale were pegged back through an Allan Campbell second half double.

In the 65th minute, Mark Pawsey was dispossessed and the hosts took full advantage with Campbell smashing the ball home from 20 yards.

The winning goal came after 86 minutes when Alex Lacy, making his 480th appearance for the club, attempted to clear an innocuous ball, however, the 40-year-old lost his footing, allowing Campbell in to net the winner.

In a quiet, typically end of season game, David Meechan went closest for Vale in the second half, when he sent his effort narrowly wide of the far post after cutting in from the left.

Speaking after the match, a disappointed Hugh Hamill admitted that the Vale's season ended in the 89th minute last week, when his team conceded two goals against Johnstone Burgh which ended their promotion hopes.

The Vale boss said: "I think our season finished with two minutes to go against Johnstone Burgh.

"The two late goals we lost that day were a real sickener, it would have been nice to go into our last game with a wee squeak of going up.

"Saturday was a horrible day on a horrible park, it was just one of those days that if we had to win I'm sure we would have won but we lost two horrendous goals.

"It would have been nice to finish with a win but unfortunately it wasn't to be." And while the match finished Vale's season, the work began again for Hamill last night (Monday) as he tried to secure players for next season, he continued: "It is now a case of focusing and signing a team for next season and that starts on Monday.

"We have a few players that we will be speaking to; the important thing is that we get out this league.

"We need some new faces in but we do have some good players here, we just need to add to them and add some competition as the squad has been a bit thin on the ground this season." One player who Hamill fears may have played his last match for the club is captain Alex Lacy.

The 40-year-old plans to retire this summer but Hamill remains hopeful that he can convince him to stay on for another campaign: "Alex is 40 now so I guess he has got to call it a day at some stage but hopefully he has a re-think and stays on.

"After such a good career, he can't end it on his backside watching them scoring the winning goal."