Peterhead were on their travels again this weekend, heading down to Fife to take on Kelty Hearts. The Blue Toon had come from behind to claim a point at Links Park on Tuesday night, and are still looking for their first win of 2026 among the weather disruptions. Their opponents came into this one off the back of cup defeat at the hands of Championship side Dunfermline, and they too were looking for an elusive first win since the turn of the year.
There were no changes made to the Peterhead side that started the game against Montrose earlier in the week, the gaffers naming the same starting 11.
The game started rather frantically, with neither side finding much sustained possession or creating chances of note early on. The first shot on target came on 15 minutes from Cammy Smith, whose effort was straight at Gourlay in the Kelty net. The keeper spilled the effort however, with both Kieran Shanks and Craig McGuffie ready to pounce. Shanks couldn’t quite get his effort away, but the ball then fell kindly for McGuffie, who rolled the ball in to give the visitors an early lead.
Kelty looked to respond quickly, testing Newman for the first time just minutes later, but the Blue Toon stopper was equal to the effort from the edge of the penalty area. Moments later, a cross into the box from the right wing caused some panic in the Peterhead penalty area, before Danny Strachan eventually smashed the ball clear.
Chances remained hard to come by for the remainder of the half, with Jack Newman once again forced into a save by Kelty Hearts winger Graham on 37 minutes. Newman got down quickly to his right to palm the ball around his post and to safety.
Half-time: Kelty Hearts 0-1 Peterhead
Peterhead started the second half the better of the two sides, looking to double their advantage. Just before the hour mark, it looked for all the world like they had. Max Barry driving down the left flank sent a cross into the area which was met by Kelty full-back Paterson in the 6-yard box. The defender looked to have turned the ball into his own net, but will have been mightily relieved to see the ball come back out off the post. This was the closest Peterhead would come to a second, as the hosts became the more likely looking goal-scorers.
Substitute Cunningham almost made an immediate impact for the hosts on 71 minutes, cracking the woodwork with a curling free kick attempt that Jack Newman would not have been getting to. The hosts hit the woodwork once again 10 minutes later, a cross from the left flank looping over the head of Newman in the Peterhead goal but fortunately crashing off the bar and back into play.
On 87 minutes, Cunningham this time found the net. A ball not properly dealt with on the edge of the area sat up well for Cunningham, who wrapped the ball expertly with the outside of his right boot into the top left corner, and the scores were once again level. Kelty would have a chance to win it in stoppage time too. Another substitute, Murray, was slipped in behind the Peterhead defence, but Newman stood firm and denied the onrushing forward one-on-one.
Three draws in the last three games for the Blue Toon, whose attention now turns to hosting East Fife at Balmoor next weekend.
Full-time: Kelty Hearts 1-1 Peterhead
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