Peterhead 7, Cowdenbeath 0.

Ladbrokes League One Attendance-535.

COWDEN had recorded three shut-outs in their previous four games but at Peterhead on Saturday all the old failings came back to haunt them.

All the good work of the previous six weeks went for nought up in Aberdeenshire as they were pulled apart by the mid-table home side.

It was as bad a performance as Cowdenbeath have produced this season and it was the second time they have been hit for seven in their first 14 league games.

The defensive work as a team was very poor and they shipped two goals in two minutes early in the game and never recovered.

Cowden made a decent start to the game and in the first minute Gordon Smith forced a good save from Graeme Smith, then the ‘keeper was happy to concede a corner after a good visiting move.

Peterhead came into the picture and Jordan Brown fired just wide before Rory McAllister brought out a fine save from Jamie Sneddon.

And in the 15th minute they took the lead. McAllister sent a nice ball over and the visiting defence was posted missing as Leighton McINTOSH powered his header past Sneddon.

Sixty seconds later it was 2-0. McIntosh was the provider this time and BROWN was well placed to shoot low into the net.

It was all Peterhead now and McAllister’s left foot shot came back off the bar, but Greig Spence did force a good save from Smith.

Then on the half hour the home side stretched their lead. McIntosh did the spadework and BROWN was given the time to shoot home from the central part of the box.

Cowden were at sixes and sevens and three minutes from the break they were four adrift. Steven Noble’s pass set up McINTOSH and he did the needful to give the Blues plenty to think about over the interval.

Luke Armstrong came on for Brad Donaldson just before the goal and the Fifers started the second period brightly and in 48 minutes Smith’s shot went just wide and then Spence went close, but in 52 minutes the home side went nap.Nathan Blockley set up McINTOSH and the striker completed his hat-trick leaving a struggling defence marking space.

Brown was a real thorn in the Blues’ side and in 59 minutes he created number six for McALLISTER setting up the striker who lashed the ball past Sneddon.

Cowden threw on Chris Kane and Craig Johnston and the visitors did create a few chances with Spence and Kyle Miller going close but with three minutes left Peterhead grabbed a seventh.

McAllister posed problems for the visitors and there was sub Scott FERRIES lying handy to net from close in.

Peterhead: Smith (7); Blockley (7), Noble (7); Ross (6) (Gilchrist 54 (3)), Strachan (7), Redman (7); Brown (7), Dzierawaski (7), McAllister (7), McIntosh (8) (Rodgers 79 (2)), Ferry (6) (Ferries 72 (3)). Subs not used, Sutherland, Jarvie, Adams and Kerr.

Cowdenbeath: Jamie Sneddon (5); Brad Donaldson (4) (Luke Armstrong 37 (4)), Kenny Adamson (4)); Pat Scullion (4)), Ali ElZubaidi (4), Kyle Miller (5)); Dean Brett (5), Andy Murdoch (Chris Kane 69 (3)), Greig Spence (5), Gordon Smith (4) (Craig Johnston 75 (2)), Liam Callaghan (4)). Subs not used, Mo Yaquk, Sam Orrit, Harvey Swan and Shaun Hunter.

Referee-Mike Roncone (6).