Peterhead 1, Cowdenbeath 0.

Ladbrokes League 2

Attendance 785

A LATE goal consigned Cowden to the SPFL Pyramid Play-offs but they should have taken something from this match at Balmoor on Saturday.

At full strength again, with the return of Blair Malcolm and Kyle Miller, the Blue Brazil gave Peterhead a real run for their money.

However, like a lot of the many 1-0 defeats this season which has seen them become cast adrift at the foot of the table, they just could not hit the net despite having a lot of shots at goal.

The longer the game went it was clear that only one goal was going to decide it and it was a well taken goal from Blue Toon sub Jordon Brown, who grabbed a late winner the last time the teams met in Aberdeenshire at Christmas, that saw the hosts get the win they craved.

Like they have done so often this season, Cowdenbeath defended superbly with Jordan Hornby doing well at left-back in for Harvey Swann, while Jamie Pyper, Bryan Gilfillan and Fraser Mullen could not have done more to provide excellent cover for ‘keeper Dave McGurn, who was faultless throughout.

In midfield Miller and Malcolm kept the Blues going forward and Jordyn Sheerin and Robbie Buchanan came close to getting the key goal they needed.

Peterhead needed to win this game to stay in touch with Montrose in the race for the title but it was Cowden who came closest in the first five minutes with a Buchanan shot which went just wide.

The Blue Toon came back at Cowdenbeath and Allan Smith and Jack Leitch brought out good saves from McGurn but in 21 minutes Gilfillan saw his 20 yarder well saved by Greg Fleming, then seven minutes later Peterhead central defender Dave McCracken bravely saved Brad Smith’s angled 12 yarder.

Fleming pulled off a fine save from Sheerin but in the run-up to the interval whistle McGurn had to save three times from the dangerous Rory McAllister.

No goals at the break but the second period had a lively start and Pyper did well to block a McAllister shot and then the big striker flashed a header just wide, before Buchanan dragged his finish just past the post then on the hour Sheerin saw Fleming save well.

As they tried to step their game up Peterhead forced a series of corners which Cowden survived but in 80 minutes the home team got the key goal.

Veteran winger Willie Gibson supplied the cross and sub BROWN, fired in low header to McGurn’s right which gave him no chance.

Cowdenbeath went all out for the leveller and Malcom saw his 12 yarder shave the bar, when he might have done better, and the Blues kept fighting but just could not breakthrough.

Peterhead: Fleming (7); Jason Brown (6), Stevenson (7); McIlduff (7) (McLean 63 (3)), McCracken (7), Ferry (7); A Brown (6), Smith (6) (Belmokhtar 86 (2)), McAllister (7), Leitch (6) (Jordon Brown 63)), Gibson (7). Subs not used, Robertson, Norris, Johnston and Hobday.

Cowdenbeath: Dave McGurn (7); Fraser Mullen (7), Jordan Hornby (7); Jamie Pyper (7), Bryan Gilfillan (7), Kyle Miller (7); David Cox (6) (Cammy Muirhead 73 (3)), Blair Malcolm (7), Jordyn Sheerin (7), Brad Smith (6), Robbie Buchanan (7). Subs not used, Scott Rumsby, Harvey Swann, Matt McInally, Ben Reilly, Mark Fotheringham and Blair Penman.

Referee-Scott Millar (6).