Peterhead’s Premier Sports Cup campaign came to an end with a 3-0 defeat at Stirling Albion courtesy of a Dale Carrick hat-trick with the Blue Toon suffering further bad luck on the injury front with Jason Brown stretchered off following a head-knock.
Jason Brown took his place in defence for the first time this season however both he and his team-mates found themselves a goal down after five minutes. Former Peterhead favourite Jack Leitch sent over a corner that was helped on by Adam Cummins and Carrick was handily placed on the goal-line to net. Danny Burns sent a shot over Jack Newman’s bar before Jordon Brown had the visitors’ first attempt on the Stirling goal on eight minutes with a drive that flashed wide of the target.
Carrick had a shot dealt with by Newman before the on-loan Dundee United shot-stopper showed his promise midway through the first half with a smart stop from a low drive by Danny Burns. Eight minutes from the interval another Stirling corner created danger in the Peterhead box with Ross McGeachie trying his luck with an overhead kick however it failed to trouble Newman. Jordon Brown tried to bring his side level on 40 minutes with a header but Stirling’s Callum Law was equal to it and it remained one nil to the hosts at the break.
Former Stirling University player and student Robbie McGale gave the locals a reminder of what he was about early into the second half as he set off on a surging run that included a couple of nutmegs on Stirling players however he just failed to pick out on Ola Adeyemo with his cross. Stirling looked to get back on top with Burns and Josh Cooper testing Newman and home pressure paid off on 72 minutes when they doubled their lead. A corner was again involved with Carrick touching the ball home from a short distance.
Ryan Strachan was brought on two minutes later for Cody McLeod and just seconds later Jordon Brown had a third crack at goal with his fizzing shot just scraping past Law’s post. With four minutes left Jason Brown had a clash of heads that saw him helped from the pitch and subsequently taken to hospital with Simpson brought on after a lengthy delay. Brown’s injury unsettled Peterhead’s defence and in the final minute Kieran Moore played Carrick through on goal and the striker slotted past Newman to claim the match-ball.
