SPFL League One: PETERHEAD 2 DUNFERMLINE 1: 22/08/15

Talbot in for Williamson; Rory McAllister (30 pen.) 1-0; Michael Moffat (44) 1-1; McIntosh (89) 2-1

Peterhead knocked Falkirk out of the Petrofac Training Cup in midweek and they were confident going into a match against a Dunfermline team that had won five games in a row and had found the net 25 times.

Manager Allan Johnston had named an unchanged side for all of those five successes but due to Ryan Williamson's leg break at Forfar now made his first alteration to that winning formula. Former Livingston full back Jason Talbot came into the side with Lewis Martin switching to right back.

Peterhead made two changes from midweek, Shane Sutherland and Nicky Riley coming in for Scott Ross and Leighton McIntosh.

The visitors kicked off but it was Peterhead who forced a corner within 35 seconds but they sent that over the crossbar. Dunfermline came storming back up the field and a quickly taken throw in from Talbot to Joe Cardle allowed the winger to cut inside and feed a pass to Shaun Byrne. He was duly cut down and the Pars had a chance from a free kick but Cardle's delivery towards the left side of the box was cleared.

In the eighth minute Jordan Brown was able to drill a shot on target from the left side but Sean Murdoch was well out to block the shot. He was able to spin and hit another shot over the bar.

Back at the other end Cardle was caught offside as the visitors made a response but it was Peterhead who still looked dangerous on the break, Shane Sutherland looping a good ball towards McAllister but the defence did its job. Both McAllister and then Michael Paton were shown yellow as the game got competitive.

Jamie Stevenson pulled up with a hamstring injury as the Pars forced a corner meaning Leighton McIntosh was the first sub of the afternoon after 20 minutes. The corner was well defended and Peterhead were back on the offensive. Ben Richards-Everton did well to dispossess McAllister and then Andy Geggan made a good clearance as Peterhead pumped a good ball in.

In 25 minutes Michael Moffat ran from deep inside his own half before slipping a good ball in for Cardle in front of goal but Ally Gilchrist blocked his effort. Two minutes later Shaun Byrne was then withdrawn as Josh Falkingham came on in a tactical substitution.

Josh had only been on the park two minutes when his close attentions to Nicky Riley as he entered the left side of the Pars box saw the two of them spill to the ground and Referee Craig Charlestown point to the penalty spot.

McALLISTER stroked the ball into the bottom left giving Murdoch little chance 1-0.

After being barged off the ball by Sutherland, Talbot pumped a free kick into the Peterhead box but to no avail. Gilchrist took out El Bakhtaoui on half way to earn a 40th minute yellow card. Physio Kenny Murray came on and Faiss was ok to continue after Talbot's free kick. He was wide right to deliver a ball into the box but the Peterhead keeper Graeme Smith had an easy take.

In 42 minutes Martin's cross from the right suffered the same fate. As half time approached play was all in the home half. Geggan had a good attempt blocked but El Bakhtaoui displayed some fine ball control with three flicks, all in different directions, to set up Cardle for a cross that MOFFAT rose to head home. 1-1

Tails up the Pars pushed and could have snatched the lead before the break but Falkingham's well hit shot was turned away by Smith. Martin also had a pop at goal but his left footed shot was blocked. 48% possession for the Fifers in the first half but they were ahead on corners and had the same number of shots as their hosts.

Half time: Peterhead 1 Dunfermline 1

The Pars resumed from where they left off. Bakhtaoui took play up the left and it was stuck there until a Cardle cross to the far post picked out Moffat. His header knocked the ball down but Peterhead's defence was first to the loose ball.

The home side forced a 49th minute corner on the right but Brown headed that wide left. Three minutes later McAllister and Sutherland stood over the ball at a free kick 22 yards out and the latter hit a good effort on target that Murdoch had to fist away.

Cardle's 59th minute corner from the right was defended but El Bakhtaoui got the chance to fire the ball back in on target causing Smith to turn the ball over for a corner on the other side but this time when the clearance reached Paton he smashed his shot over the bar from 25 yards out.

It was end to end at this stage but the Fifers defence dealt well with the Blue Toon's efforts. Falkingham was then denied a penalty when James Redman tackled him from behind in the box. The heat continued to be turned up as Ryan Strachan was yellow carded for his tackle on Moffat. Next chance dropped to Richards-Everton but his shot at the right post was blocked out and Talbot got in another from the edge of the box after Moffat had laid the ball back for him to run on to.

In 72 minutes another Cardle corner let Geggan in for a shot and when that broke Moffat tried an overhead attempt that the keeper saved. Back at the other end Scott Ferries worked his way past the unlucky Martin and Murdoch made an important save. Then McIntosh burst through on the right to drive a powerful shot over Murdoch's bar.

Ryan Wallace came on with thirteen minutes remaining, replacing Joe Cardle. Greame Smith was made to pull off a fantastic save to deny the Pars sub who produced a great shot from all of 30 yards.

El Bakhtaoui's shot in 81 minutes was deflected for a corner and then another shot from him 60 seconds later was held by Smith. David Hopkirk replaced Paton and he was next to make the keeper hold.

Into the last five minutes and Falkingham sent Moffat away down the right but Wallace was blown up for offside. Moffat swept an 87th minute shot to the left side but Smith, who was the home side's Man of the Match, held again.

The Pars were adjudged offside at another free kick before McAllister headed on a long ball from his keeper Smith. He was able to fend off Fordyce's challenge to find McINTOSH in front of the sprauling Richards-Everton and the former Dundee player lifted the ball into the net for a 89th minute goal. 2-1

There was to be no way back for the Fifers, Peterhead's first ever win over Dunfermline who have to feel that they should have taken something from a very powerful second half performance.

PETERHEAD: Graeme Smith; Jamie Stevenson (Leighton McIntosh 20), Ryan Strachan, Ally Gilchrist, Nathan Blockley (Scott Ferries 61); James Redman, Kevin Dzierzawski, Jordan Brown, Nicky Riley; Shane Sutherland (Andy Rodgers 64), Rory McAllister.
SUBS NOT USED: Scott Adams, Ryan Baptie, Mark Lawrence, Paul Jarvie (GK).
SCORERS: McAllister (30 pen.), McIntosh (89)
YELLOW CARD: McAllister (15), Brown (29), Riley (37), Strachan (66)

DUNFERMLINE: Sean Murdoch; Lewis Martin, Callum Fordyce (c), Ben Richards-Everton, Jason Talbot,; Michael Paton (David Hopkirk 83), Shaun Byrne (Josh Falkingham 27), Andy Geggan, Joe Cardle (Ryan Wallace 77); Michael Moffat, Faissal El Bakhtaoui.
SUBS NOT USED: Trialist, John Potter, David Hutton (GK).
SCORERS: Moffat (44)
YELLOW CARD: Paton (18), Geggan (32)

REFEREE: Craig Charleston
WEATHER: Overcast 15C
ATTENDANCE 996

NEXT MATCH: League Cup (home) v Dundee
Tuesday 25th August 2015, 7.45pm kick off at East End Park