Another season finished and another top scorer finish for Dane Ballard. Dane joined Vale in late March 2016 from Buchanhaven Hearts and has been a consistent scorer for the Club since that time. Saturday’s double against Nairn County brought his season’s total to 18 goals and his overall competitive match total for Deveronvale to 72. That total is well ahead of the other high scorer still in the Vale squad, Grant Noble, who has scored 54, and no other player in our recent history has passed the half century mark.
Dane’s scoring record is all the more remarkable given the time he spent out recovering from an ACL injury, which he sustained at Mackessack Park, Rothes in September 2018. That injury came the season after Dane hit 24 goals for Vale, the highest season total by a player since the days of Ian Murray, a prolific scorer for Vale in the noughties.
At Saturday’s Player of the Year awards at Princess Royal Park Dane was awarded the “Leigh Henderson Trophy for Goal of the Season” but to date Deveronvale have not awarded a “Season’s Top Goalscorer” trophy. However, that will be rectified with the introduction of a trophy which for Season 2022-23 will go to Dane.
Dane’s detailed goal scoring record is as follows:
Season 2016-17 11
Season 2017-18 24
Season 2018-19 (injury curtailed) 2
Season 2019-20 injured) 0
Season 2020-21 (COVID curtailed) 0
Season 2021-22 17
Season 2022-23 18
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Total 72
Well done Dane and we hope to see you head toward the “ton up” next season.
