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Stenhousemuir F.C.Match Report
Peterhead v Stenhousemuir at Balmoor Stadium, Peterhead on 23.03.21
Scottish Cup Second Round
Peterhead 0 Stenhousemuir 1 [McGuigan 18]
Peterhead –Rae, Bailey [b35][Strachan 80], Jason Brown, MacDonald [b50], Conroy, Freeman, McCarthy [b85], S.Brown [Armour 23], Layne [McGrath 72], Payson and Kesson [b39]
Subs not used – Wilson, Jordon Brown,
Stenhousemuir – Martin, Tiffoney [b39], Kane [b41], Little, Brown, Blair, Tapping, Hopkirk, Biabi, Muir [Spence 75], McGuigan [Collins 75].
Subs not used – Erskine, Halleran, Fairley, Hodge, McQueen and Grigor
Referee – Mike Roncone Assistants- Stuart Stevenson and Filippo Mazzoni
The Warriors made only one change from the starting eleven against Albion Rovers with Chris Kane replacing the cup-tied Adam Corbett who had played in the cup with Spartans. Although Chris had played in a couple of bounce games since the start of the season this was actually his first game in any competition as he had been out though injury.
This was only the second time that the clubs had met in the Scottish Cup with the last meeting in 1980 when Peterhead won a replay at Recreation Park, Peterhead 2-0 after a 0-0 draw at Ochilview.
Andy MacDonald made his Peterhead debut whilst Derek Kesson made his first start after 8 sub appearances. The wind starting to strengthen and the Warriors struggled to get going whilst Peterhead had a series of corners and that brought the first real chance in the 13th minute when Kyle Bailey headed a Ryan Conroy corner over. A minute later McGuigan hooked wide after a quick corner. The striker wasn’t to wait long for his goal though netting in the 18th minute when he was quick to react after Josh Rae could only push out a Ryan Blair shot. There was a real threat in the 28th minute when Isaac Layne was picked out by Kesson but a great tackle by David Hopkirk cleared the danger for a corner. Sub Ben Armour forced Paddy Martin into his first save on the half hour.
It got a bit heated in the 39th minute when Kesson was late with a tackle after Peterhead had been awarded a free kick and Kesson and Jonathan Tiffoney were booked in the aftermath. In the last minute of the half another Conroy corner was met by Jason Brown and was well stopped by Martin. Three minutes after the restart Josh Rae saved from Tommy Muir after Botti Biabi headed the ball forward. In the 62nd minute the best chance of the game for Peterhead saw A Ben Armour shot saved by an outstretched Paddy Martin after the Warriors had lost possession. It was one of the rare occasions when Peterhead had time in the game as they were pressurised when they had the ball. A quick counter attack by Stenhousemuir almost brought rewards as Rae had to make a fine save from Ryan Blair after a McGuigan cross was laid into Blair’s path by Tommy Muir.
With 10 minutes left a Freeman shot from just outside of the box was comfortably saved by Martin. As the game drew to a close the Warriors looked threatening on the counter and were in the main able to play time out with Botti Biabi coming close with a shot that flashed across goal.
Peterhead did have a chance when Danny Strachan headed wide in stoppage time but the Warriors held on for a deserved victory with their reward being a home tie against Kilmarnock in the next round.
