The Blue Toon travelled to the capital hoping for a winning start to 2025, and to bounce back last week’s 2-0 defeat away at Elgin. Their opposition were also coming off the back of a defeat, beaten 4-2 by league leaders East Fife on Wednesday night. Peterhead started the day just three points above Edinburgh City, albeit with a game in hand, so this was a crucial game for both sides in what has so far been a hugely intense battle at the top of league two.
There were two changes to the lineup that fell to defeat at Borough Briggs last week, with Andy McCarthy and Jason Brown in from the start to replace Seb Ross and the suspended Ciaran Dunne.
Chances were hard to come by for both sides in the opening exchanges, but the first shot on target came from Max Barry. Good play down the right hand side freed Jack Brown in behind the Edinburgh City defence, his cut back found Barry, but his shot was held by Weir.
Peterhead then found the opener on 22 minutes, with Peterhead once again finding joy down the right flank. The driven cross was this time met by the boot of Kieran Shanks, who managed to escape his marker and prod home from close range.
Edinburgh City’s best chance of the half came in the last few minutes of the first half, but a great recovery save from Blessing Oluyemi and a goal-line block from David Wilson prevented what would have been a certain goal, before Stokes blasted the ball over the bar.
Edinburgh City defender Edin Lynch picked up his first booking after half an hour, and in the last minute of the first half, was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Peter Pawlett on the edge of the Edinburgh City penalty area. Peterhead goal scorer Kieran Shanks was also booked in the 42nd minute.
Half-time: Edinburgh City 0-1 Peterhead
Peterhead made one change at half time, sending on Oliver Colloty to make his debut for the Blue Toon, in place of Kieran Shanks. The second half started very similarly to how the first ended, with Peterhead controlling the ball for the majority, and limiting the hosts to very few chances. League Two’s top goalscorer Connor Young saw very little goal-mouth action, but on 52 minutes he managed to work himself half a yard and get a shot away, forcing a good save from Oluyemi down to his left.
Peterhead then created some chances of their own, with Max Barry denied by Mark Weir in the Edinburgh City goal, cutting in from the left-hand side and striking from the edge of the box. Moments later, in the 56th minute, Oliver Colloty came just inches away from a dream debut goal, managing to get his head on the end of a Danny Strachan cross, leaving the goalkeeper stranded but just hitting the outside of the post. Rory MacAllister also came close in the second half, after being brought on in the 72nd minute and replacing Dylan Forrest. MacAllister was inches away from connecting with yet another cross from the right hand side, but the ball was just out of reach of Peterhead’s number 9. Edinburgh City boss Micheal McIndoe made four changes in the second half to try and break down the Peterhead defence, but to no avail, the Blue Toon standing strong to keep their 8th clean sheet of the season.
Full-time: Edinburgh City 0-1 Peterhead
(Shanks 22’)
Starting XI: Oluyemi, Strachan, Wilson, Jason Brown, Goldie, McCarthy, Forrest (MacAllister 72’), Pawlett, Barry (Scott Ross 90’), Jack Brown, Shanks (Colloty 46’)
