The Buffs were back to their best at Petershill Park, as a strong team performance and goals from Mark Lamont and Fraser Malcolm meant they left 1-2 victors to bring a significant 3 points back to Buffs Park. Kevin Kelly’s side were well worth the 3 points after creating some dangerous chances in the first half especially and also hitting the woodwork twice during the first period.
Petershill had the first chance of the game when Cammy Kerr tried to control a throw-in in the middle of the park but was dispossessed, which allowed The Peasy to break forward. The ball was slid out to the right wing to Young, who took a touch before sending a low cross towards the back post in search of his teammate Ross Smith. Smith looked like he was going to be able to get on the end of the cross and fire an effort goalwards, but Sean McGreer managed to recover brilliantly and put a great sliding challenge in to snuff out the danger.
The Buffs looked dangerous but were unable to create a chance in the early exchanges until McGreer won the ball high on the right wing before setting it back to Blair MacIntyre. Blair moved possession inside to Mark Lamont, who played an excellent through ball down the right for Conor McLaughlin, who was in lots of space. McLaughlin could’ve drove to the byline but instead played an inch-perfect, early ball into the space behind the Petershill defence, which Fraser Malcolm managed to slide out to redirect the ball into the back of the Petershill net.
The Buffs early lead didn’t last long when Euan Bowie couldn’t deal with a ball that was launched forward down the right-hand side. Bowie was caught underneath the ball as he jumped to head, which meant his header only sent the ball further back towards his own goal. Dylan Brown thought about coming out to try and clear the ball but hesitated, which allowed Alex Cassells to get on the end of the loose ball and float a lob over Brown’s head and into the net to give The Peasy an easy route back into the game.
The quick equaliser shifted the momentum back in favour of the home side as they would go on to dominate the next 5 minutes of the game and could’ve easily grabbed a goal when Steffan Graham nipped in front of Lawarence Hendry around 30 yards from goal. Graham’s touch took him across the centre of the Buffs defence, which forced Bowie to step in to try and clear the ball away. In doing so, Bowie left goalscorer Alex Cassells free to run in behind, which allowed Graham to just chip the ball over Bowie’s head into space for the striker to run into. Cassells would get on the end of the pass, but his first touch was heavy and took him wide of the left post, leaving him a very difficult angle to shoot from, which allowed Brown to comfortably catch the striker’s half-volley attempt.
Peasy would have another great chance to take the lead when a great ball was sprayed out to Ross Smith on the left wing. The winger took a touch before crossing towards the centre of the box where there were two unmarked Peasy forwards. The cross picked out one of the unmarked attackers, Robbie Young, who mistimed his header, which sent the ball spinning well wide of the right post.
The Buffs began to retake control of the match and earned another good chance when Mark Lamont had a chance to cross from a free-kick on the right-hand side. The Peasy managed to get first contact on Lamont’s cross but couldn’t fully clear, which allowed Blair MacIntyre to smash the ball goalwards from the edge of the box. Blair’s first-time effort looked headed for the top left corner but instead clattered the bar and bounced clear of the box.
Buffs’ best move of the half came just before half-time when they moved it from side to side before eventually Mark Lamont switched it to Bryan Boylan on the left wing. Boylan swung an early cross into the front post, where the ball was just nicked off the head of Malcolm by the Petershill centre-back, who defended the situation excellently. The attack was not done there, however, as the following corner was only cleared as far as Blair MacIntyre on the right-hand side of the edge of the box. Blair hit another superb strike towards the top left corner but, once again, was denied by the crossbar, which meant the game was level as the players headed into the half-time break.
The second half failed to follow the first half in terms of action, as the game became very cagey and much less end-to-end, with neither team wanting to lose the game. It would take around half an hour for the first real chance of the half to come along when substitute Dylan Duncan weaved through 2 men before getting to the byline and crossing the ball towards Jack McMahon at the front post.
Kevin Kelly’s changes were having a great impact on the game, and it was substitute Jack McMahon who would prove to make the most meaningful impact. The ball was launched long up the pitch as The Buffs cleared their lines, which forced a tussle for the ball between defender Semirimu and McMahon, which the Buffs forward would end up winning. Jack picked up the loose ball and drove forward with pace before eventually being brought down by Semirimu just as he entered the box, with Semirimu’s challenge adjudged to be worthy of a penalty for The Buffs. As always, it was Mark Lamont who would step up to the spot for The Buffs, and the midfielder would show great composure to just chip the ball into the centre of the goal to give The Buffs the lead late on.
The drama wouldn’t end there, however, as, in the dying seconds, Ross Smith would whip a cross in from the left which would trouble the Buffs defence as Brown would come out to try and clear but couldn’t get much on it, which sent the ball flying off the head of a Peasy forward and just over the bar as the ball went agonisingly close to dropping into the back of the Buffs’ net.
The win means The Buffs stay in second place and increase the gap between themselves and 3rd placed Rutherglen Glencairn, who were defeated by a last-minute Renfrew FC goal on the day. Kevin Kelly will be hoping his side can build on the win as they now change their focus to a massive midweek fixture away to Arthurlie FC before hosting rivals Irvine Meadow at the weekend.
