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A first goal of the season from Ryan Strachan and a double from Mitch Megginson were enough to give us victory in a cinch League One clash we dominated from start to finish.

The majorly of the 925 crowd inside Balmoral Stadium will have been enthralled by the quality of our football.

That resulted in us creating numerous scoring chances and were it not for three last-gasp goal-line clearances, and the crossbar, the winning margin would have been far greater.

Manager Paul Hartley’s decision to go with a change in formation – with Strachan, Morgyn Neill and Scott Ross forming a three-man back line – played a huge part.

It allowed full-backs Harry Milne and Shay Logan to bump forward at will which led to us spending all but the last few minutes camped in or around the Peterhead penalty area.

We set the tone straight from the off, with Logan feeding a great ball in from the right to Rory McAllister after just two minutes and it took a desperate block to stop the striker scoring from the edge of the six-yard box.

Peterhead were then forced to make an early change, with Ryan Conroy coming on for the injured Simon Ferry.

We were desperately unlucky not to go ahead in the fourth minute.

It was after McAllister had laid the ball off perfectly into the path of Jamie Masson.

The midfielder’s 17-yard shot beat Peterhead keeper Brett Long, but the ball was then hooked off the line by Niah Payne.

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During the Scottish League One game between Cove Rangers FC and Peterhead FC at Balmoral Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland, on Saturday 13th November 2021 ( Photo by Dave Cowe )

The attacks were relentless, with the next started by another fine cross to Masson and his first-time volley was deflected wide by Conroy.

Milne powered forward on the other wing, in the 15th minute and passed to Blair Yule, but his shot from 25-yards cleared the crossbar.

Lady Luck smiled on Peterhead again in the 17th minute.

Yule fed a great pass through to Megginson and his powerful 16-yard shot was deflected on to the crossbar by keeper Long.

McAllister followed that by dispossessing Jason Brown then running on to hit a low shot that Long saved with his legs.

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During the Scottish League One game between Cove Rangers FC and Peterhead FC at Balmoral Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland, on Saturday 13th November 2021 ( Photo by Dave Cowe )

Ross was the next to have a go, with a 22-yard shot that went off target.

We were unfortunate again in the 21st minute, when Megginson’s 14-yard shot was cleared off the Peterhead goal-line by David Wilson.

The one-way traffic continued with another sweeping move ending with Masson steering his shot, from just inside the area, wide of the Peterhead goal.

We had two strong penalty claims turned away within a minute, in the latter stages of the first half.

The first was when Megginson appeared to be pulled back as he attempted to get to a lay-off by McAllister.

The ball ran on to McAllister and his shot, from a tight angle on the left, was beaten behind for a corner by Long.

Megginson immediately appealed for the penalty, but referee Calum Scott waved play on.

The official did the same when McAllister appeared to be impeded as he attempted to get on to a cross from Iain Vigurs.

It was more of the same in the second period, with Masson starting things off with a curling shot, from out on the left, that wasn’t too far off target.

Peterhead got lucky again in the 48th minute, when Stuart McKenzie’s long clearance was nodded on by McAllister to Megginson.

The striker skipped past the advancing Long but then saw his shot, from a tight angle on the left, cleared off the line by a defender.

We took the lead we deserved from the resulting corner, which Masson swept over from left.

It was met by Neill at the back post, and he nodded the ball down for STRACHAN to net from the edge of the six yard box.

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During the Scottish League One game between Cove Rangers FC and Peterhead FC at Balmoral Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland, on Saturday 13th November 2021 ( Photo by Dave Cowe )

Peterhead hung on even more desperately after that.

Masson, who was voted man-of-the-match by sponsors OMH Management – hit an excellent 22-yard shot that Long kept out by diving full length to his right to push the ball wide.

Masson was involved again just after the hour with a pass to Megginson and his shot crept over the crossbar.

Megginson was even unluckier in the 69th minute, when his 20-yard shot beat Long but shaved the outside of the keeper’s right post.

We went close again a minute later, when Milne won the ball 35-yards out and fed it to Masson, who then broke clear to steer an 18-yard shot inches wide.

The points were secured when we got our second goal in the 79th minute.

Masson, once again, fed a perfect pass through to MEGGINSON and he drilled a low shot into the net for his ninth of the season.

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Our third came in the second minute of injury-time, from a penalty awarded for a Long foul on substitute Leighton McIntosh.

With McAllister having already been replaced, MEGGINSON took the kick and lashed the ball high into the top corner to provide the icing on an extremely enjoyable afternoon.

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During the Scottish League One game between Cove Rangers FC and Peterhead FC at Balmoral Stadium, Aberdeen, Scotland, on Saturday 13th November 2021 ( Photo by Dave Cowe )

COVE RANGERS: McKenzie, Neill, Milne, Ross, Strachan, Yule, Megginson, Masson (Leitch 81), McAllister (McIntosh 75), Vigurs, Logan (Scully 75).

Subs: Anderson, Odeyemo, Robertson, Gourlay.

PETERHEAD: Long, Mulligan, Duffy, Jason Brown (Savoury 58), McDonald, Ferry (Conroy 4), Wilson, S Brown, McLean (Lyle 58), McCarthy, Payne.

Subs: Wilson, Cameron, Strachan, Jordon Brown.

Referee: Calum Scott.

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