Preview Peterhead
Saturday, 3rd Jan 2015SPFL League One: Dunfermline v Peterhead: East End Park, Saturday 3rd January 2015, Kick off 3.00pm
The first ever league match between Dunfermline Athletic and Peterhead at East End Park in September is one that neither club nor their fans will forget in a hurry. It will be remembered not so much for the three goals Dunfermline won by but rather for the three men that Peterhead had sent off before half time. What followed was a bizarre second half that was more like a game of three and in.
Every game is different and there certainly will not many like that one back in September. The return at the Balmoor Stadium looked to be heading for an away win after Faissal El Bakhtaoui sent the Pars into a 19th minute lead but just two minutes from time Jamie Stevenson's equaliser for Peterhead spoiled the long trip back down the A90 home.
| All Matches v Peterhead | ||||
| Date | H/A | WDL | F-A | Scorers |
| 08/11/14 | A | D | 3-0 | [1-0] El Bakhtaoui, [1-1] Stevenson. |
| 27/09/14 | H | W | 3-0 | [1-0] Falkingham, [2-0] Ugwu, [3-0] Thomas |
| 30/08/14 | A | W | 2-0 | [1-0] Kirk, [2-0] Phinn |
Peterhead and fellow Highland League side Elgin City were admitted into the Scottish League for season 2000-2001 as a consequence of the SPL expanding. Like their former counterparts Inverness and Ross County it took them no time to show the rest of Scottish that football in the north is thriving.
Peterhead's population may be less than 20,000 and they may have to compete with Aberdeen for local interest, but a well run can achieve an awful lot as Peterhead has shown. Their first promotion in 2005 as Third Division runners up lasted six years until relegation saw them back down in 2011. Then just twenty months ago they suffered the kind of play off let down that the Pars are too used to. Finishing as Division Three runners up to Rangers they progressed to the play off final. A goalless draw against East Fife at Bayview in the first leg was followed by a shock home defeat.
Undeterred, however, Peterhead secured the title last season and with it certain promotion to League Two.
League Stats
| Dunfermline | Peterhead |
| Current League Position | |
| 4 | 6 |
| League form last six games | |
| DLWWLL | LDDWLW |
| League Points | |
| 27 | 23 |
| Goal Difference | |
| +3 | -5 |
| Home / Away League Record | |
| P9, W5, D2, L2 | P8, W4, D1, L3 |
In what might be construed as a season in which to consolidate, at mid season Peterhead sit mid table, four points off the play off spots at either end of the table. A win for the Aberdeenshire team would take them to within a point the Fifers and they do have a game in hand.
Recent Form
The Pars have won only twice in their last eight games while only Stranraer have got the better of Peterhead in the last ten matches.
| Form last six home / away | ||||||
| Dunfermline (home) | Peterhead (away) | |||||
| Stranraer | L | 0-1 | Morton | W | 1-0 | |
| Stranraer | L | 1-3 | Stirling Albion | W | 3-2 | |
| Stirling Albion | W | 4-0 | Stranraer | L | 0-5 | |
| Morton | L | 1-2 | Stenhousemuir | W | 2-1 | |
| Forfar Athletic | D | 0-0 | Dunfermline | L |
0-3 |
|
| Peterhead | W | 3-0 | Forfar Athletic | L |
0-1 |
|
