YFS
Peterhead BC have retained their A League status with a topsy-turvy 4-3 victory over Banchory BC in a playoff match.
The match was to decide which side would be relegated to the B League after both teams finished with the same amount of points and the same games won in this season’s A League.
Banchory will now drop down to the B League after losing a match they had led on two separate occasions.
A hat-trick from Banchory striker Harris Anderson was not enough as two goals from Jack Hislop, one from Robert McDougal and a late own goal secured victory for Peterhead.
A tight game always seemed likely as both teams had recorded one win against each other in the regular season.
The opening goal of the game came for Banchory after 16 minutes. Luke Adamson’s deep free-kick found Anderson at the back post and he looped his header over the goalkeeper and into the net for 1-0.
Their lead lasted less than 10 minutes as Peterhead battled back to equalise. A powerful run up the left wing by Ayden McGill was eventually thwarted by goalkeeper Craig McKay, but the ball fell kindly for Jack Hislop whose shot from the edge of the box evaded a number of bodies before finding the net.
Even at the time of that goal it was obvious that it would not be the last of the match and Peterhead took the lead for the first time in the 33rd minute. McGill’s free-kick was palmed by McKay and striker McDougal reacted first to blast in the rebound.
And it looked like that would be the end of the scoring for the first half, but Banchory equalised just seconds before the interval. Anderson was all alone against three defenders but he managed to find a route to goal and sneaked his left-foot side-foot into the bottom corner from 18 yards.