Rangers are outplayed by Peterhead in 5-0 defeat
BERWICK PETERHEAD 0 5
PETERHEAD kept the pressure on league leaders Edinburgh City with a comprehensive 5-0 win over Berwick at Shielfield.
Three goals in the first half from Jack Leitch, Rory Mcallister and Jason Brown put Jim Mcinally’s side in the driving seat and Russell Mclean and Jamie Stevenson heaped more misery on The Borderers after the break.
It took Peterhead only two minutes to open the scoring with Leitch taking advantage of some hesitancy in the Berwick defence to fire in a left foot shot off the inside of the far post.
Mcallister then tried his luck with a chip from outside the box, but Berwick keeper Sean Brennan was able to gather safely. On 13 minutes Berwick were architects of their own downfall when they attempted to play the ball out from the back. Declan O’kane lost possession to Leitch and Mcallister had the simple task of finishing from inside the box.
Rangers struggled to get out of their own half but on the one occasion they did, Daryl Healy lifted the ball over the bar on the volley following a cross on the right from Andrew Forbes.
Lewis Barr managed to get in behind the visiting defence after 24 minutes but his cross from the right was unable to find any of his team-mates closing in.
Peterhead added a third after 36 minutes when a Jamie Stevenson corner from the left was headed down by Jason Brown and the ball squeezed under Brennan and just crept over the line.
Early in the second half, a long through ball found Mcallister who looked to be clean through, but for once the prolific striker was unable to finish. Just a few seconds later, on 51 minutes, Mclean made it four when he found the net after taking a pass from Michael Dunlop.
Peterhead continued to press and substitute William Gibson and Mcallister both went close as Rangers continued to find themselves on the back foot.
The Balmoor side were awarded a free kick after 78 minutes and Stevenson’s low shot from 22 yards out squirmed under Brennan into the net. Berwick had a couple of late chances but it was no more than token resistance against an accomplished looking ’Head, who might have added to their tally with a Mcallister shot being smothered by Brennan.