East Fife 2-0 Peterhead: Dick Campbell's side go one point within top of League 2 table

After suffering back-to-back defeats, the Fifers came into the match looking to get back on track having previously went on a five-match winning run beforehand, and they surged into a commanding lead at the break.

In-form Alan Trouten, 38, delightfully put the home side ahead after seven minutes when he flicked on Liam Newton’s cross from a smartly-worked throw in.

And East Fife then made sure of the three points just a minute before the break when Stewart Murdoch struck home on the second attempt in a crowded penalty area.

In the second half, Nathan Austin and Jack Healy both forced one-on-one saves from Stuart McKenzie as the Fifers went on to seal the three points with relative ease.

Speaking after the victory, delighted assistant manager Ian Campbell praised his side for an “outstanding” second half display at The MGM Timber Bayview Stadium.

"Sometimes you get more than three points, and I thought we got that today,” he told East Fife TV. “Peterhead are a good side and you can see why they are doing well. In the first half, they might have actually edged it, but we outstanding to a man in the second half.

"The players were terrific and they managed the game super well. We should have won the match by more than two goals but it is three points at home and we will take that any week.

"We forced them to start playing the long ball and that tells you that we won the battle. That tells you something about how we played. It is another game and another step forward for us.

"We had three players missing today too. Reiss (Peggie) was missing, our goalkeeper (Liam McFarlane) was suspended and Brian (Easton) was out. That is three of backline but the boys who came in staked a claim for a spot in the team.”

East Fife now travel to the capital this Saturday to take on fifth-placed Spartans, who were in Premier Sports Cup quarter-final last time out.