Peebles Rovers 4

Heriot-Watt Uni 1

Neil Hobson at Whitestone Park

PEEBLES Rovers secured one of their finest results of the season after educating Heriot-Watt University in the art of finishing.

Jamie Mackay opened the scoring after two minutes with a thunderbolt of a goal from 25-yards.

A brace from Alan McMath, coupled with a strike from Michael McEwan, all in the first-half, saw Rovers scoop an important three points going into the final third of the season.

Rossi’s men were fully aware of the mountain that awaited them in Heriot-Watt, having gone down to a 2-1 defeat on their patch at Riccarton earlier in the season.

But any fears of a battle were quickly quashed following Mackay’s superb opening striker.

Picking up the ball just outside the box, he lashed the ball with great power to send it beyond the reach of the Watt ‘keeper.

Such a start set the tone for the rest of the match, as Rovers enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and territory.

Rossi dictated proceedings well in the middle of the park, firing the ball forward to the lurking figures of McMath and McEwan.

Peebles did well to suppress the threat from the Students, with Anton Dowds probing for vulnerabilities in the defence.

Fortunately, top-scorer Alan McMath was on hand to make some daylight between the sides.

On 27 minutes, he carved his way through the Heriot defence – but was forced onto his weaker foot after evading his marker.

Taking a hurried shot, it trundled towards the ‘keeper, seemingly of no threat. But a moment of madness saw him fumble his catch, allowing the effort to roll over the line.

Rovers wasted no time in nailing home their advantage.

On the back of another terrific Rossi ball, McEwan sped off and danced past the defence before slotting the ball home on the half-hour mark.

McMath wasn’t about to be outdone however, and notched his 17th goal of the season eight minutes later, courtesy of a Lindsay assist, to round off the first-half goal glut.

Heriot emerged into the second-half a more resolute team than before, giving Rovers a game as they sought to make amends.

The game degenerated into more of a battle, but Rovers looked solid with the central defensive duo of Brown and Fleming beating back any threats.

But Rovers were to concede late on, after Ben Breen snuck in a goal from a Scott Dargo corner.

It appeared as though the referee Greig Haynes got a touch as the ball went beyond Ben McGinley, but the goal was to stand.

Fleming was also sent off in a late fracas with Anton Dowds picking up a second-yellow after getting involved in the resulting melee.

It wasn’t to put too much of a dampener on the game, as Rovers held on to secure three points.

Peebles: McGinley, Mackay, Brown, Dodds, Fleming, Rossi, G Lamb, Lindsay, McEwan, McMath, Zavaroni