Buckie Thistle pushed Championship side Ayr United all the way before succumbing to a narrow defeat at Somerset Park in their final Premier Sports Cup Group B match.

Jags boss Lewis Mackinnon restored Josh Peters to the starting line-up, with Lyall Keir dropping to the bench.

Mark Ridgers had to look sharp to push over a tremendous long range effort from Anton Dowds in the first minute.

Dowds then missed a great chance to open the scoring, blasting a half volley over from close range from a Jay Henderson corner.

Andrew MacAskill made a good break forward in the 10th minute, finding Marcus Goodall outside the penalty area, Goodall curling his shot over the bar from 25 yards.

Marco Rus dragged a tame effort wide for the home side when free in the penalty area two minutes later.

Great work from Goodall and MacAskill sent Peters in behind the home defence on 21 minutes, but Harry Stone raced out to block his shot.

Fraser Robertson then made a vital interception back to goalkeeper Ridgers after Ayr produced a superb move to cut through the visiting defence.

Ridgers made a tremendous save with his legs to deny George Oakley’s header from point blank range on the half hour mark, but the opener was coming, and Henderson made the breakthrough a minute later, racing onto a through ball to compose himself and smash high past Ridgers from 12 yards.

A driving run from Jags captain Sam Pugh created another chance for Peters, but his shot from 14 yards went wide of the far post.
At the other end, Ridgers got down well to save from Watret after he got on the end of a loose ball on the edge of the penalty area.

Ayr grabbed number two on 43 minutes, Dowds played in down the right channel and his cutback was fired in by Henderson for his second.
Peters pulled one back a minute later, producing an excellent looping finish into the far corner after Jack MacIver’s corner was only half-cleared and headed back into the area by Goodall.

Eight minutes after the break, Downs couldn’t find anyone with a low ball across goal, then he was denied by an excellent Ridgers save from close range.

A quick counter from the visitors saw Peters do well to cut inside his man in the left side of the penalty area, but his ball across goal just evaded the inrushing MacAskill.

Buckie then stunned their Championship hosts with a superb equaliser. Robertson switched play to MacIver on the right and he drove inside, played a one-two with MacAskill and crashed a superb finish high past Stone from 16 yards.

Dowds missed a great chance to make it 3-2 just two minutes later, before being replaced by Fraser Bryden.

Jake Hastie put United back in front on 69 minutes with an outstanding volley into the top right corner from a cross from the right flank.

Darryl McHardy made a welcome return from the bench with 18 minutes remaining, he and Dale Wood replacing Cohen Ramsay and Fraser Robertson.

Ridgers made a decent save late on from a flicked effort from Henderson, then McHardy made a great block from a goal bound close range shot.

Goodall blasted wide after a long free kick dropped to him outside the penalty area with two minutes remaining, before Rus volleyed a chance just past Ridgers’ right-hand post at the other end.

Ridgers made another excellent stop from Bryden as he broke clean through, but it was Buckie who almost grabbed a late equaliser, MacIver’s cross reaching McHardy on the left of the penalty area, but his low effort brushed the far post and went wide.

A great performance from the Highland League champions against a full-time Championship outfit, they have improved with each game in the Premier Sports Cup and can now look forward to a home clash with Dundee United B in the First Round of the SPFL Trust Trophy on Tuesday night.

Buckie Th: M. Ridgers; J. McCabe, R. Fyffe, I. McKay, C. Ramsay (D. McHardy 72); J. MacIver, S. Pugh (c), F. Robertson (D. Wood 72), M. Goodall; A. MacAskill (K. Fraser 77); J. Peters (L. Keir 77). Subs not used: E. Storrier, L. Mackinnon, H. Munro, S. Morrison.

Scorers: J. Peters (44), J. MacIver (59)