Buckie Thistle 3-1 Rothes

A hat-trick from the returning Josh Peters gave Buckie Thistle victory at a rain-soaked Princess Royal Park.

Jags once again had to come from behind after Rothes took an early lead, but Peters levelled matters before the break, then struck twice in seven minutes in the second half to seal the win.

Jake Thomson missed the first chance for the visitors on three minutes after an error in the home defence, firing a tame effort straight at Stuart Knight.

Jack MacIver then dragged an effort wide from 18 yards on nine minutes after cutting in from the left flank.

Eight minutes later, a cross from the left from Aidan Wilson was only partially cleared and Gary Kerr pounced to smash the ball low past Knight for the opener.

Kerr then poked an effort just wide of the far post as the visitors continued to threaten.

Dale Wood fired a shot wide from 22 yards on 29 minutes, then nine minutes before the break Jags levelled. Andrew MacAskill threaded the ball through the Rothes back line and Peters slotted into the bottom left corner from ten yards.

Peters was denied a second by a superb point blank block from Sean McCarthy from Max Barry’s left wing cross.

MacAskill then fired in a decent long range strike that flew just wide of the left hand post.

Buckie started the second half on top and MacIver missed a good chance on 56 minutes, blasting an effort off target when in space on the edge of the box.

Jags boss Graeme Stewart made his first change seven minutes later, with Lyall Keir replacing MacIver on the left flank.

Peters grabbed his and Buckie’s second midway through the second half, latching onto Dale Wood’s towering header and firing an excellent finish low across McCarthy into the bottom left corner.

The Jags number nine grabbed his hat-trick seven minutes later, converting Joe McCabe’s cross from close range after McCarthy raced from his goal to try and cut out Sam Pugh’s superb through ball.

Marcus Goodall and Liam Harvey came on for MacAskill and Peters late on, before Jack Murray almost got on the end of Goodall’s ball over the top, but McCarthy blasted it off the big central defender and over the crossbar.

Barry curled a shot straight at McCarthy from a short corner as the ‘home’ side searched for a fourth, before the Jags midfield maestro nutmegged his man and produced another decent save from McCarthy with a strike from 20 yards.

A strong second half showing from Buckie gave them a vital three points going into three huge fixtures against Brora Rangers, Brechin City and Fraserburgh in the next nine days.

Buckie Th: S. Knight; J. McCabe, S. Morrison, J. Murray, H. Munro; S. Pugh (c), D. Wood; J. MacIver (L. Keir 63), M. Barry, A. MacAskill (M. Goodall 81); J. Peters (L. Harvey 86). Subs not used: E. Storrier, L. Mackinnon, C. Ramsay.