Peterhead vs Stenhousemuir preview - Bavidge boost for Blue Toon

Posted Tuesday, February 15, 2011 by PA

Peterhead boss Neale Cooper is hoping to have striker Martin Bavidge available for the visit of rock-bottom Stenhousemuir, but defender Bobby Mann remains sidelined with an ankle injury.

The visitors could pull to within a point of the Blue Toon should they win at Balmoor.

Injury kept Bavidge out of Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Brechin, with Cooper saying: "We need someone that can convert chances when we are on top and we missed Martin for that on Saturday.

"We dominated the first half but had only one goal to show for it and eventually Brechin got back in and we paid a heavy price.

"It was unbelievable to come up the road with nothing after the first-half performance we had."

Winger Stevie Murray misses out for Stenhousemuir following his sending off at the weekend, but everyone else in the pool is available to manager Davie Irons.

The Warriors fell to the bottom of the Second Division for the first time this season at the weekend and Irons is determined that their stay there will be brief.

Irons said: "It`s not a nice feeling but this league is so tight that a couple of wins can have you sitting mid-table.

"A win at Peterhead will be difficult to achieve but it would pull us to within a point of them and make the long journey north extremely worthwhile.

"We played well against East Fife but we have to ensure we take our chances when we are on top."