Peterhead 3
Layne (13, 17)
Boyd (24)
Brechin City 1
Inglis (46)
Peterhead made it two wins out of two in Group C of the Betfred Cup when they defeated Brechin City 3-1 at Balmoor with the Blue Toon getting the job done early.
Manager Jim McInally made one change to the team that won 1-0 at Dundee United on Saturday with experienced centre-back Gary Mackenzie coming in to make his debut with Josh Mulligan dropping out after picking up a knock at Tannadice.
Isaac Layne look determined to get off the mark for the Blue Toon and after just 5 minutes he worked his way past two defenders to get a sight at goal however the striker’s shot flashed wide.
McInally’s side were dealt a blow on 10 minutes when Ben Armour came off with a knock with Alan Cook coming on as his replacement however the momentum that was being built towards the Brechin goal carried on.
A goal came on 13 minutes when Layne powered his way to the 18 yard box and then cracked a shot high into the Brechin net with the summer recruit from Dumbarton denied a second shortly afterwards.
Layne was not to be denied again and on 17 minutes he applied a back-heel to a low corner and forced the ball home from 4 yards.
Peterhead were rampant by this stage and Saturday’s match-winner Steven Boyd got on the score-sheet on 24 minutes with a rasping drive from 30 yards.
Substitute Cook was denied a goal by a smart save from Paddy O’Neil with Michael Paton getting a shot away for Brechin just before the half-time whistle however Joshua Rae was not troubled.
Brechin got themselves into the game within a minute of the second half starting when Kyle Bailey’s clearance came back off Kieran Inglis and gave the visiting substitute the chance to scramble the ball past Joshua Rae and he took it.
Peterhead responded to that set-back in the best possible way with Layne denied a hat-trick by a last ditch tackle and then a post before manager McInally opted to rest the striker ahead of the League 1 opener at Airdrie at the weekend and replace him with Derek Lyle.
Andrew McCarthy who was having his best game in a Peterhead shirt came closing to breaking his goalscoring duck midway through the second half however O’Neil saved his shot well.
Boyd was was withdrawn to give Lyall Cameron a run-out and fans watching on-line got their first glimpse of Derryn Kesson when he came on for McCarthy with the winger setting up Lyle after a darting run however the striker headed over.
A swerving free-kick from Lyle was pushed past with Brechin denied a second goal late on when Rae saved a header from Rory Currie.
Peterhead Rae, Bailey, J Brown, MacKenzie (Freeman 62), Conroy, McCarthy (Cameron 73), Ferry, S Brown, Boyd (Kesson 73), Layne, (Lyle 61), Armour (Cook 10)
Unused substitutes Wilson
Read manager Jim McInally’s thoughts on the win tomorrow morning.
