Postcard from Peterhead

ACH, I'd always wanted to visit Peterhead anyway.

While those of us at New Broomfield last Saturday afternoon tried to avoid being drowned in the monsoon conditions, Ross County got on with the job of securing first division survival.

And when it was confirmed that they had won 2-0 at Morton, that meant a Wednesday night trip for Airdrie United to Peterhead in the semi-finals of the play-offs.

In some ways, I wasn't too bothered about that. Peterhead's Balmoor Stadium was one of only five grounds in Scottish Football's '42' I'd yet to visit.

Spectacular scenery was on offer for those who made the journey north in warm, sunny conditions and the views of the North Sea, from the ground as well as the A90, were a sight to behold.

But this wasn't a holiday, this was about football, and the Diamonds got to work almost straight away with an early goal their early play deserved, which helped settle the nerves.

The major turning point of the match came within a minute of the restart. A Peterhead corner appeared to be headed in by Stuart McKay, but no goal was given.

Airdrie didn't bother hanging around for a post-mortem and raced up the pitch to win a corner of their own, and from a half-cleared ball, Scott McLaughlin fired home a lovely goal.

Incredible drama. For Peterhead's goal, it was thought that keeper Stephen Robertson had been fouled in the build-up, but it later emerged that referee Craig MacKay felt the ball hadn't crossed the line.

With the press area half-a-mile away, we will just have to take his word for it! Not that the Blue Toon contingent agreed. They were insistent that a goal should have been awarded.

The Diamonds weren't great, but did enough to win. With the second leg at New Broomfield, a place in the final against Ayr United is looking pretty much odds-on.

It's a case of one down, three to go.