Peterhead 2 Accies 0: Bells Challenge Cup, Round 1: Tuesday, 7 August 2001

Bells Challenge Cup, Round 1

Balmoor Stadium, Peterhead

Tuesday, 7 August 2001

A goal in each half from former Inverness Caley Thistle striker Iain Stewart was enough to dump Accies out of the Bell's Challenge Cup at Balmoor and prolong the team's wretched run of Cup results under manager Ally Dawson.

For the sixth consecutive cup campaign, Dawson's dismal side were unable to progress beyond their opening match, leaving many fans wondering why they had bothered to make the four hour midweek journey to the North East.

Dawson made five changes to to the side which drew with Queen of the South on Saturday with Andy Goram, Ross MacLaren, Martin Bonnar, Stuart Callaghan and Michael Moore making way for Graham Potter, Mark Nelson, Johnny Walker, Paul McDonald and Kris O'Neill and it was the former Hearts man who almost contrived to give Accies an early lead. With fifteen minutes gone he played a neat one-two with Steven Renicks on the edge of the box leaving the full back in the clear. However Peterhead 'keeper Ross Buchanan was alert to the danger and dived to his left to clutch Renicks' well struck shot.

It was the closest Accies would come to scoring all night despite being on top in the early stages. Mark Nelson should have done better in the thirty second minute when he got on the end of an inswinging Paul McDonald free kick but, with the goal gaping, the former Alloa man miscontrolled the ball allowing it to trickle harmlessly behind.

Accies were soon to regret it. The warning signs were suddenly evident three minutes later when a seemingly harmless Craig Cooper cross evaded the outstretched arms of the poorly positioned Graham Potter and a relieved Steven Renicks was forced to nod behind for a corner. And it was from such a position that Peterhead would take the lead in the forty second minute. Potter, this time, was forced to concede it when he had to twist to keep out a fine Ritchie Livingstone snapshot. Livingstone opted to take the kick himself and his delivery was cleverly dummied by Stewart McKay at the front post allowing Stewart the space to lash the ball high into the net from six yards.

Accies offered immediate resistance through Eddie Cunnington, but the left back's fine run wasn't matched by his finish which slid by Buchanan's far post just on the stroke of half time.

Jim Sherry was first to trouble Buchanan in the second half when his low drive from the edge of the area was comfortably held by the 'keeper, but for a team chasing the game, Accies seldom looked like really troubling the home side.

The match, of course, marked the return of Paul McDonald to an Accies jersey. It wasn't quite how most Accies fans had always imagined it. The former hero's contribution was limited to being responsible for a number of fruitless dead ball situations. Not, however, Accies's most important free kick of the night; on the edge of the box with fifteen minutes remaining. That kick was allocated to David McFarlane, but he could do no better than drill the ball low into the wall to the dismay of the restless travelling support.

It proved to be Accies' last real chance when the home side clinched the match seven minutes later. David McFarlane was on the end of a crunching challenge by Mark Simpson which saw the Peterhead centre back launch the ball high upfield in the direction of the ever dangerous Stewart. With Eddie Cunnington frantically chasing him, the Blue Toon striker allowed it one bounce thirty yards from goal before magnificently hoisting an inch perfect lob in the air, leaving Graham Potter stranded. Route One stuff, but enough to send Ally Dawson's team of full time professionals spinning to another embarrassing cup defeat.

Accies lineup:

Wale Kwik Ajet replaced Kris O'Neil (63)

Alisdair Graham replaced Johnny Walker (56)

Wale Kwik Ajet was booked for persistent fouling

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