Peterhead v Alloa Athletic
Peterhead headed down to Alloa this weekend looking to get back to winning ways in the league, after a disappointing 3-0 loss in Cove last weekend. A KDM Evolution Trophy match vs Dundee B in Midweek provided a morale boost for the Blue toon, as they won 2-1 with a largely rotated starting 11. Alloa arrived into this match on fine form, with two wins and two clean sheets in their last two matches, scoring five in those two games. The last time the two sides met at the Indodrill Stadium, Peterhead went up the road with all three points, so were looking for a similar result this time out.
There was just one change to the team that started at Cove, Jack Searle being replaced by Blair Yule to sure up the midfield.
There were very few chances to speak of in the opening stages of this one, with both teams cancelling each other out for the most part. Both Peterhead and Alloa set up very similarly from the off, in both shape and style. Both looked to press high and force turnovers high up the pitch, and to exploit the opponents press with long balls over the top. The visitors had the first real chance of note on 14 minutes, Josh Kerr clipping a ball in behind which was brought down well by Cammy Smith. Smith then rolled the ball to Seb Ross who had joined him in the box, but Ross couldn’t find a route through the retreating Alloa defenders with his goalbound shot. Seb Ross hit the post minutes later, Davies-Browne finding him unmarked in the box from the left flank but Ross just dragged his effort.
Alloa had the ball in the net after 26 minutes, but the goal was ruled out by referee Iain Sneddon for a foul committed on Jason Brown by Devine. The wasps only really threatened the Peterhead goal twice more in the first half, once denied by a great Jack Newman save. Donnelly found space to get a shot away just inside the area and looked to curl the ball into the far corner, but Newman tipped the ball around the post at full stretch. Alloa’s final first half chance did find the net however. A shot from 25 yards out from Marchant took a heavy deflection which wrong-footed Newman and bounced in for 1-0.
Half-time: Alloa Athletic 1-0 Peterhead
Just like the last time these two sides met at the Indodrill Staduim, Peterhead went in at the break trailing, and just like the last time it didn’t take them long to respond in the second half. On 55 minutes, Jason Brown sprayed a pass over the top of the Alloa defence which Seb Ross latched onto. The Blue Toon forward let the ball bounce into the box before volleying goalwards with his left instep. The goalkeeper got a hand to it, but there was too much power on the shot and it nestled in the far corner. Peterhead didn’t let up the pressure after their equaliser, and almost went ahead through Danny Strachan moments later. The marauding full back found the ball at his feet just outside the area and looked to find the top right corner, but he couldn’t quite keep the shot down.
As both sides looked for the winner, Peterhead were lucky not to gift it to their hosts. Jason Brown tried to clear his lines with 10 minutes to go but booted the ball off of his centre back partner Josh Kerr. The ball then dropped for Rankin, who shot first time but Jack Newman managed to make an excellent reflex save to deny the striker with a strong right arm. There was one final chance for the Blue Toon to leave with all three points, substitutes Jack Searle and Fraser Mackie combining on the right flank and releasing Searle in behind down the wing. Searle crossed from the byline aiming for the arriving Ciaran Dunne, but Foster did very well to cut out the cross just in time and deny Dunne a dream return from his lengthy injury problems.
Peterhead stifled the efforts of the hosts to find a winner in stoppage time and the game ended all square, probably a fair result in the end with not much to separate the sides. Peterhead return to Balmoor next weekend to host Montrose, who will prove a tough test having found some good form early in the season.
Full-time: Alloa Athletic 1-1 Peterhead