Peterhead hosted Queen of the South at Balmoor this weekend, hoping to keep their chances of reaching the playoffs alive with a win. The Blue Toon would have to quickly forget the disappointing 2-0 loss to league leaders Inverness on Tuesday night, looking rather for a repeat of the 3-0 victory they claimed last time they hosted the Doonhamers. The visitors came into this one unbeaten in their last six matches, not losing a match since Peterhead took all three points in Dumfries in February.
Peterhead made three changes to the starting lineup that fell to defeat on Tuesday, with Mackenzie Ross, Danny Strachan and Jack Brown in from the start. Adam Carnwath and Aaron Steele missed out entirely through injury, and Seb Ross dropped to the bench.
Peterhead started on the front foot, and Sneddon was forced into his first save just 6 minutes in. Josh Kerr picked the ball up about 30 yards from goal, took a touch forward to set himself before driving an effort towards the far post, which was tipped wide by the QOTS stopper.
Within the first 15 minutes, the Blue Toon were forced into two changes, as Peter Pawlett and Josh Kerr were both unable to continue with muscle injuries. Seb Ross replaced Pawlett on 8 minutes, and Niall McGinn came on for Kerr after 15. Peterhead remained the team that looked most dangerous following the changes however, with Kieran Shanks the next to go close. Craig McGuffie clipped a perfectly weighted pass over the top of the Queens’ defence for Shanks, who managed to control the bouncing ball but snatched his effort wide of the target.
The Doonhamers’ best chance of the first 45 came with ten minutes to go before half time, Lyon looked to get a shot away from inside the penalty area, but Flynn Duffy positioned himself perfectly to deny the midfielder from troubling Jack Newman’s goal.
There was a late half-chance for Niall McGinn just before the break, his shot from the edge of the penalty area was once again tipped around the far post by Sneddon.
Half-time: Peterhead 0-0 Queen of the South
It was the visitors who came out the traps better in the second half, and created a number of chances early in the second 45. Lyon had a big chance just two minutes into the half, as he stepped onto a cutback from the left wing and looked to slot home at the near post, but his shot was well wide in the end. Kennedy then went close a few minutes later, cutting in from the left wing and curling a shot towards Newman’s far post but not curling enough, and going behind harmlessly for a goal kick.
A huge chance on the counter attack came for Niall McGinn and Peterhead just before the hour mark, the veteran winger charging down the left wing and looking to square it to the arriving Craig McGuffie, but Luissant managed to recover and poke the ball away from McGuffie, who would have likely had a tap-in.
Jack Newman was forced into one of very few saves he had to make in the game on 63 minutes, a shot from Hewitt was deflected off the boot of Danny Strachan, and the Blue Toon keeper showed great reflexes to parry the effort away. The breakthrough then finally came on 78 minutes, and came from substitute Niall McGinn. A free-kick from the right hand side was floated towards the back post for Jason Brown to attack. The Peterhead captain managed to control the ball before floating a cross into the six yard box, which McGinn attacked completely unmarked and had the simplest of tasks to head home from near enough on the goal-line.
Unfortunately, the Blue Toon did not manage to hold their lead for the remaining 12 minutes, with the visitors finding an equaliser on 88 minutes. Douglas rose highest to attack a cross from the left-wing, and the Queens captain thumped a header past Newman and into the back of the net. Peterhead tried to find another goal to win it, a couple of chances falling the way of Rob Jones late on, but it want to be on this occasion.
The result means Peterhead can no longer finish in a playoff spot, but with two games to go, the Blue Toon can still claim a top-half finish on their return to League One. They will travel to face Hamilton Accies next weekend.