The Blue Toon announced the signing of Prince Annor Asare ahead of kick-off and the 19-year-old midfielder took his place on a substitute’s bench that is finally close to being complete. Jason Brown returned to the heart of the home defence following the head injury he picked up at Stirling Albion last month with on-loan Dundee youngster Kyle Wilkie handed his first start. The suspended Connor O’Keefe missed out and Peterhead’s second loan signing from Dens Park, Ewan Murray, moved to the bench after making his debut at Falkirk last weekend. Brown’s inclusion allowed Ryan Strachan to take up a position just in front of the home defence and that saw Ryan Dow pushed up the park into his natural attacking position. The tactical change got off to a great start with Dow having an early shot saved by Max Currie before the former Dundee United, Ross County and Dunfermline man teed up Gillies to run in and chip home his second goal in two games within the first two minutes. As the hosts looked to build on that positive start Robbie Scullion fired for goal on nine minutes however Currie was equal to that effort as well. Shortly afterwards Gavin Reilly had a header saved by Jack Newman and Connor Murray fired wide however midway through the half Ryan Strachan broke forward and tried his luck from outside of the box with Currie ensuring that Peterhead’s lead was not doubled. The experience in the Doonhamers midfield started dictating play and the Dumfries side pulled level 11 minutes from the break when Murray slipped the ball to Josh Todd some 20 yards from goal and he shot a shot flashing past Newman. The Blue Toon deserved to go into the break level however that was snatched away from them on 43 minutes when Todd returned the favour to Murray by teeing up his team-mate to slot home from a similar distance. Peterhead were denied an equaliser early into the restart when Currie took the ball off the inrushing Jack Brown’s toes with Asare coming on for Scullion to make his debut on 53 minutes. Reilly was denied from close range before the visitors scored their third goal on 64 minutes with Reilly the architect when he sent a pass from the right wing across the face of the Peterhead goal and that allowed Ruari Paton to side-foot home from close range. Player/ coach Jordon Brown was brought on with 12 minutes to go in a final bid to get the Blue Toon back into the game however Queen of the South continued to be on top. With five minutes to go Newman kept out an effort from Paton however the shot-stopper was beaten in added on time. Gillies was yellow carded for a foul on Murray and the attacker rubbed salt into wounds by picking himself up and curling the dead ball high over the four-man wall and then watching it drop under the diving Newman.
Peterhead – Newman, Gillies, Jason Brown (Murray 60), Dixon, McDonald, Wilkie, R Strachan (D Strachan 77), Scullion (Asare 53), Jack Brown, Dow, Adeyemo (Jordon Brown 78) Unused substitutes – Wilson, McGale, McLeod, Wood G/K)
