Balmoor played host to its final game of 2024 as Bonnyrigg Rose made the journey from Edinburgh to face the Blue Toon.
The visitors had been on a fantastic run of form before hitting a bump in the road as they were beaten comfortably by Forfar, while Peterhead picked up a point against the same opposition in midweek having played 45 minutes with 10 men. There was one enforced change to the Peterhead staring line up as Max Barry replaced the suspended Andy McCarthy.
Peterhead started the game on the front foot and forced the first save of the game from Michael Andrews as Kieran Shanks’s header was claimed by the Bonnyrigg Rose stopper. Bonnyrigg then forced Blessing Oluyemi into action as he palmed Cameron Ross’s 25-yard effort wide. There was a lot of confusion in the 25th minute of the match as the visitors were reduced to 10 men. A high boot from Angus Mailer caught Cieran Dunne in the chest and referee Gavin Hanvidge mistakenly gave Mark Ferrie his marching orders. The referee then had a chat with one of his assistants and rectified his error by sending Mailer off – his second red of the season against Peterhead. Bonnyrigg defended well for the rest of the half and gave the hosts little to no chances until Dylan Forrest forced Andrews into action with a curling effort from the edge of the area, which the Bonnyrigg keeper tipped wide.
Half Time: Peterhead 0-0 Bonnyrigg Rose
The second half was always going to be a tough ask for Peterhead despite having the man advantage as they played into the strong Balmoor breeze. Despite this, Peterhead continued to play their own way, moving the ball side to side and tiring out the 10 men from the capital. Shanks had a fine chance from 6 yards out to put the hosts in front but scuffed his lines before Ferrie had a great opportunity for the visitors but fired narrowly over. Peterhead finally hit the front in the 65th minute as Peter Pawlett got the final touch onto a shot from Barry after a spell of pressure. Soon later, the advantage was doubled as Shanks netted his third goal in as many games. A corner was whipped into the path of Pawlett and his volleyed effort crashed against the bar and into the path of Shanks, who headed into the roof of the net from a couple of yards away. The second goal seemed to take the sting out of the game with the only real chance in the last 20 minutes an effort from Conner Duthie, which the Rosie Posie keeper saved.
Full Time: Peterhead 2-0 Bonnyrigg Rose (Pawlett 65’, Shanks 70’)
Starting XI: Oluyemi, Strachan, Wilson, Goldie, Dunne, Pawlett (Jordon Brown 80’), Forrest, Jack Brown (Smith 61’), Barry (Duthie 75’), Seb Ross (McAllister 61’), Shanks (Armour 75’)
