A bright and competitive start to Peterhead’s second game in the Premier Sports Cup came unstuck at Raith Rovers with the Fife side racking up a 6-0 win against the undermanned Blue Toon side.
With on-loan Dundee United goalkeeper, and star of the show against Aberdeen on Sunday, Jack Newman unavailable, Sandy Wood made his debut in goal with recent signing Cody McLeod coming in to start in place of Hamish Ritchie who suffered a knee injury against the Dons. Robbie McGale was the only substitute for the visitors who started at the same bright pace as the hosts who were playing their first game under new manager Ian Murray.
Wood was tested and equal to a shot from Sam Stanton on 10 minutes with former Airdrie midfielder Dylan Easton firing wide of the shot-stopper’s goal shortly afterwards. There was nothing Wood could do on 16 minutes when he was beaten by Easton’s spectacular overhead kick from 8 yards following a cross from the right by Kieran Mitchell.
Peterhead continued to battle resolutely however there was a feeling that it would not be their night when Easton added a second goal on 32 minutes. The Raith debutant took possession from McLeod 30 yards from goal and started dancing his way forward before cracking a shot goalward that Wood appeared to have covered until it struck Balmoor skipper Paul Dixon and crept into the corner.
The second goal gave Raith extra impetus whilst also taking some of the wind out of Peterhead sails following their exertions at the weekend and Wood was glad to see an Ethan Ross free-kick slip wide just before the half-time whistle. Six minutes into the restart the score-line became 3-0 when Easton cut in from the right wing and sent a low shot just inside the post from 18 yards.
Wood saved from Jamie Gullan shortly afterwards however a fourth goal arrived on 62 minutes when Aidan Connolly and Ross combined at a corner with Liam Dick nipping ahead of Wood to head home the cross from the left.
Gullan got in on the act three minutes later when he turned in a low Connolly cross with Connolly rubbing salt into Peterhead wounds two minutes from time when curled a 30-yard free kick over the defensive wall and into the net.
Peterhead – Wood, Strachan, Wilson, Dixon, McDonald, Jack Brown, Jordon Brown, McLeod, Dow, O’Keefe, Adeyemo.
