THE focus of this tie was always likely to be on one talismanic centre-forward with an irrefutable goal-scoring pedigree in the Scottish game. In the expectant eyes of Falkirk fans, it was supposed to be Lee Miller.
However, Rory McAllister – a certified plumber by trade, after all – proved suitably adept at throwing a spanner in the works with a truly astonishing display for Peterhead.
The 28-year-old plundered five goals, including a first-half hat-trick and a sumptuous 35-yard half-volley, to inspire a remarkable 5-3 Petrofac Training Cup win over their Championship opponents.
David Smith, Paul Watson and Alex Cooper found the net for the hosts, but their efforts will be mere footnotes in a memorable night for the Highlanders – and their irrepressible front-man.
The Bairns were handed a wonderful opportunity to claim the lead within the first 10 minutes after Ally Gilchrist handled in the box to concede a penalty. However, with regular spot-kick specialist John Baird rested, Bob McHugh saw his tame effort parried away by Graeme Smith.
Thankfully for McHugh, David Smith was in rather more clinical mood. The former Hearts youngster collected a Blair Alston pass 30 yards from goal and, when the ball sat up invitingly, lashed a stunning drive into the top-corner.
The hosts' lead was doubled seven minutes later when Watson rose highest to meet an Alston corner kick and head home his second goal since joining the club.
Conventional wisdom said: game over. Rory McAllister had other ideas entirely.
Within 120 second the prolific forward, whose lucrative job in the plumbing industry is the only reason he is not notching goals in the full-time game, latched on to a Scott Ross pass and chipped a delightful finish beyond Bowman.
Parity was restored when Paul Watson was robbed, allowing Jordan Brown to scamper down the left flank and deliver a sumptuous low cross to the back post, where McAllister tapped into the net.
And a stunning turnaround was completed on the cusp of half-time, when McAllister benefitted from more woeful Bairns defending to clip a fine finish beyond Bowman from a tight angle.
Falkirk, having spent 15 minutes with a thoroughly unamused Peter Houston, one suspects, emerged for the second half with renewed impetus. Smith forced a sharp low save from his goalkeeping namesake with a drive from distance.
However, it took until the 77th minute for Houston's side to net a leveller, with Cooper climbing from the bench to head a Smith delivery beyond the Blue Toon keeper.
With Falkirk chasing a winner, Peterhead pinched one. McAllister – who else? – collected a long punt from his goalkeeper and, from all of 35 yards, sent a glorious dipping volley into the net, albeit questions will be asked about Bowman's positioning.
Miller, on his second debut for the club after 12 years away, fluffed his lines by shooting over when a loose ball fell to him six yards from goal.
And McAllister wrapped up a five-star performance with a clinically taken penalty following a Will Vaulks foul in the box.
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel