Peebles under pressure then Athletic run away

Peebles Rovers, in red, try to close down a Penicuik move (picture by Jim Dick).

For nearly an hour, Peebles stayed on the shoulder of their East of Scotland Conference A neighbours, who have a 100 per cent league record.

However, Rovers had to work very hard to stay in the game – and the unbeaten Midlothian men surged clear in the final 30 minutes with five unanswered goals.

In the opening minute, Peebles had come close with a free kick that just curled wide.

Minutes later, a Baptie cross was headed by McIntosh but stand-in Peebles ‘keeper Bob Hall pulled off an excellent save to deny the striker.

In the 10th minute, a Baptie free kick was tipped away by Hall for a corner kick.

Immediately afterwards, with Peebles under severe pressure, Aaron Somerville saw his goalbound strike headed off the goal line. Then Baptie drilled a 30-yard strike straight into the arms of Hall.

Penicuik continued to drive at the home defence and a Sam Jones strike was parried by Hall and the follow-up strike was blocked on the line for a corner.

Shortly afterwards, Peebles had their best spell in the game, forcing consecutive corners. But keeper Thomas Cordery rose among a ruck of players to punch clear on both occasions.

Penicuik, despite all their possession and pressure, couldn’t break down the home defence and the half ended scoreless.

Penicuik continued the way they had left off and piled on the pressure. In 59 minutes, they were awarded a soft penalty kick and Jones sent Hall the wrong way.

Five minutes later, Penicuik should have doubled the lead when McIntosh was set free but Hall dived at the striker’s feet to block the effort.

Then, three goals in six minutes floored Peebles, who were also missing three suspended players following the previous week’s fracas with Easthouses Lily.

The first of the quickfire counters, in 65 minutes, came when a Baptie cross was nodded down by McIntosh and Jones rifled the ball home.

Four minutes later, Callum Connolly was on hand to slot home off a Baptie corner kick.

Soon afterwards, Peebles shouted in vain for a penalty of their own when Cordery hauled down Rob Sterricks.

In the 72nd minute, McIntosh was again denied by Hall as he blocked the striker’s shot but Arran Ponton followed up to drive the rebound into the net.

Right on 90 minutes, a slick passing move saw Ponton drill home his second and Penicuik’s fifth.