Betfred Cup Group A

dumbarton 3

Thomson (22) Smith (36) Stevenson (48 pen)

peterhead 3

Dzierzawski (16) McIntosh (57) McAllister (69 pen)

Peterhead win 6-5 on penalties for a bonus point

AFTER a penalty shootout which lasted a total of 20 kicks, Peterhead qualified for the Betfred Cup knockout stages after coming back from 3-1 down against Dumbarton.

Kevin Dzierzawski had put the Blue Toon in front only for Robert Thomson and David Smith to turn the scoreline in Sons’ favour by half time.

Ryan Stevenson extended the lead from the penalty spot early in the second half but Leighton McIntosh responded for Peterhead and Rory McAllister’s penalty brought them level.

After no further scoring, Dumbarton missed all of their first three penalties in the shootout, but the visitors faltered at matchpoint on three occasions. In the end, after Craig Pettigrew became the fifth Sons player to see his penalty saved by Graeme Smith, Nicky Riley scored Peterhead’s 10th kick.

Dzierzawski opened the scoring on 16 minutes after McAllister saw off the challenge of three defenders and rolled the ball into the area.

But six minutes later Dumbarton levelled when Gregor Buchanan headed Mark Docherty’s free kick down and Thomson bundled home the loose ball. Nine minutes from half time Sons made it 2- 1 when Josh Todd sent over a ball from the left and David Smith made no mistake with his header.

Then two minutes after the restart Donald McCallum was fouled in the area by Fiacre Kelleher. Stevenson put away the penalty but on 57 minutes Peterhead’s McIntosh scrambled the ball home.

The visitors then dominated and on 69 minutes Docherty’s foul on McAllister resulted in another penalty, which he converted.

It was then on to penalties, with Thomson, McCallum and Smith all kept out by the Peterhead goalie.

Ryan Strachan could have won it with Peterhead’s third kick but blasted over and when Brown saved from Jordan, and then Kelleher, it was into sudden death.

After more misses from both sides, Pettigrew saw his effort saved and Riley strolled up to win it for the visitors, who finished top of the group.