Peterhead edge out East Fife to seal Scottish League Two title

The Fifers needed to avoid defeat at Balmoor to take the title race to the final day but they now sit four points behind the Blue Toon and face the prospect of the promotion play-offs in order to reach the third tier.

They have already secured second spot and will now face one of Edinburgh City or Elgin City in a two-legged semi-final tie with the second leg at the MGM Timber Bayview Stadium.

If they can progress then a two-legged final against League Two’s fourth-placed team or League One’s ninth-placed side awaits with the highest-finishing team at home in the second leg.

On Saturday, Peter Pawlett slammed home the winner on the half hour mark after the ball broke to the ex-Dundee United star in a crowded penalty box with the Fifers’ backline unable to clear the ball.

And assistant manager Ian Campbell admitted that the hosts did enough on the day to be crowned champions and that his side ‘threw away’ the title.

"I thought it was a nervy occasion,” he told East Fife TV. “The referee has made one major decision that leads to the goal that separates both teams. But that is life. Congratulations to Peterhead, they have probably ended off deserving to secure the championship. We weren’t quite ourselves today. The goal is soft. Peterhead just edged it after that. The fans were brilliant today. It is a bitter pill to swallow watching another team secure a title.

“We need to get over this massive disappointment because we had this league wrapped up two months and we should have won it hands down. We let ourselves down a little bit but we can get ourselves together.”

East Fife now host possible play-off opponents Elgin City at home this Saturday as the regular league campaign comes to a close.

Ahead of that match, Campbell said: “We are at home and we want to win the game. We won’t rest players or anything like that. We have players wanting to get back into the team and we have a real chance of going up the play-offs.”