David Nicholls again took charge of the side with a couple of changes to last week’s game against Dunfermline. Ryan Strachan dropped out of the team through injury and the side started with a different formation from last week.
The wind was determined to spoil the game for both sides and didn’t make it easy to play any football. The first chance of the game fell to Peterhead’s Jason Brown. Jason saw his right footed shot from the centre of the box sail over the bar, a promising start from the hosts. The game was evenly matched with both sides not creating too many chances but Queen’s Park took the lead on the 30th minute when Dom Thomas’ left footed free kick took a wicked deflection off David Wilson who was in the Peterhead wall. The deflection looped the ball over the head of Tom Ritchie into the right-hand side of the net, a real stroke of luck for Queens Park who’d scored from their second effort in the game. This seemed to galvanise the Championship side who created two good chances before the end of the half. Jake Davidson saw his right footed strike go high and wide. Then it was Simon Murray’s turn, with his right footed strike go off target just beyond Tom Ritchie’s right-hand post.
Half Time – Peterhead 0 Queens Park 1
Peterhead started the second half with a renewed impetus. Two early second half chances could have seen Peterhead equalise with Michael Hewitt’s long range right footed effort just off target. Jason Brown forced Callum Ferrie into a save to his bottom left-hand side from the right side of the 18 yard box. Andrew McDonald was the next Blue Toon player to force Ferrie into a stop when 56 minutes in his long range left footed effort was saved. Peterhead were really pushing for the equaliser when hit by a sucker punch from the visitors. A free kick in the 62nd minute just outside the 18 yard box to Ritchie’s left was whipped round the wall and into the bottom left hand corner. A disappointing goal to concede when Peterhead were pushing hard to get the equaliser.
Peterhead didn’t give up and kept fighting to pull a goal back. Julien Carre forced Ferrie into another save and Andrew McDonald had the Queens defence putting their bodies on the line to stop an effort from him going on target. The best chance to pull one back fell to Danny Strachan in the 86th minute when a long ball to Michael Hewitt on the left wing was crossed in by his right foot to Danny Strachan at the back post. Strachan saw his left footed shot back across the goal well held by Ferrie. Jordon Brown followed the shot in well hoping for Ferrie to spill but was out of luck. Any chance of a comeback was foiled in the 90th minute when Queens Park hit Peterhead on the counter. Peterhead had committed a lot of bodies forward in search of a goal and lost the ball in the final third. Danny Strachan unfortunately missed a tackle to break up the Queens attack but burst a gut to try and recover the situation. Scott Williamson ended up on the ball on the left wing and played the ball to former Peterhead player Grant Savoury, whose left footed strike beyond Tom Ritchie rounded off the afternoon for the visitors.
The effort from the Peterhead players deserved more from the game, but football doesn’t always reward effort. The possession stats would’ve been quite even, and Peterhead had more efforts on target than the visitors who scored with each of their efforts on target. All the best to Queens Park who have ended our run in the cup again as they did in seasons 2008/2009 and 1978/1979.
It’s back to league action next week against the team just above us in the league, Kelty Hearts.
