Peterhead 1, Cowdenbeath 0.

Ladbrokes League 2

Attendance- 532

COWDEN worked really hard to grind out something from Balmoor last night but ended up losing by the narrowest of margins to promotion chasers Peterhead.

The Blue Brazil defence worked overtime at times to keep out the dangerous Rory McAllister and his mates and goalkeeper Aaron Lennox had a fine game throughout.

But while the better chances fell to Peterhead Cowden had a few decent openings of their own.

The team had a three man central defence with Luc Bollan back in the side, alongside Robbie Deas and Jamie Todd and they had to keep alert to keep tabs on McAllister and Shane Sutherland who looked eager to add to the Blue Toon's goal tally.

But in attack Kris Renton and Jordan Allan did see openings against a home defence which looked suspect under pressure.

Cowden almost got a great start when Robbie Deas was up for set piece but his header was saved by Greg Fleming.

Peterhead then had a good spell when they created chances and Lennox saved well from Michael Dunlop and then McAllister.

Sutherland twice got into good positions but fired wide and then eight minutes from the break Lennox saved well from McAllister but a minute later Todd got his head to a ball fired into the Peterhead box but his header went over.

The hosts were getting frustrated but two minutes from the break they got a goal. The ball was worked into the danger area by the home side and Scott BROWN was lying handy to shoot into the net from six yards out.

Cowden started the second period with Jamie Pyper in place of Todd, who took a knock midway through the first-half and it was the Blue Toon who started the second period on the attack and Brown twice shot over but at the other end Bollan fired a shot inches wide.

Then the manager's son saw his header excellently held by Fleming before Kris Renton saw his shot from the edge of the box saved.

Cowden threw on Matt Henvey as they searched for a leveller and he fired wide from a good position

Both teams had chances in the closing stages but there were no more goals and the result helped Peterhead's challenge at the top of the table but not Cowden's as Annan won at Berwick.

Peterhead: Fleming (6); Stevenson (7), Boyle (7); J Brown (7), Dunlop (7), Ferry (6); S Brown (8), Dow (6), McAllister (7) (Willis 85 (2)), Sutherland (7) (Lyle 62 (3)), Leitch (6) (Gibson 71 (3)). Subs not used, Eadie, Willox, Home and Henderson.

Cowdenbeath: Aaron Lennox (8); Fraser Mullen (6), Luc Bullen (7); Jamie Todd (5) (Jamie Pyper 45 (6), Robbie Deas (7), Kyle Miller (6) (Matt Henvey 59 (3)); Jordan Allan (6) (Blair Malcolm 81 (2)), Robbie Buchanan (6), Kris Renton (6), Gary Fraser (7), Harvey Swann (7). Subs not used, Martin Scott, Martin Fotheringham, Kyle Sneddon and Dave McGurn.

Referee-Scott Lambie (6).