Peterhead and Stenhousemuir are separated only by goal difference in Ladbrokes League 1 and meet in the Petrofac Training Cup quarter-finals.
It's a meeting between this season's shock specialists
Not only will this quarter-final fixture ensure there's at least one Ladbrokes League 1 side in Monday's semi-final draw, it's also a head-to-head clash between the two teams who have produced the biggest surprises in this year's tournament. Peterhead appeared to be heading out in the last round, after David Smith and Paul Watson had given Falkirk a 2-0 lead against Jim McInally's side, but a 21-minute hat-trick from Rory McAllister saw Peterhead surprisingly ahead at the interval. Alex Cooper restored parity in the second period, but McAllister pounced, not once, but twice more, as the Blue Toon sealed a memorable victory.
On the same evening that Falkirk were bowing out, their near neighbours Stenhousemuir were recording their own excellent win against Championship opponents, with a surprisingly comfortable 2-0 home victory over Raith Rovers. It was a match Brown Ferguson's team always looked in control of, and Alan Cook deservedly put them ahead midway through the second period. Stephen Stirling's stunning long-distance effort five minutes later not only handed the Warriors an unassailable lead, it also provided one of the goals of the tournament.
It's a chance to see one of Scottish football's most in-form strikers
Presumably Rory McAllister won't be able to reproduce his goalscoring exploits of the last round, when his five-goal-salvo helped eliminate Falkirk, but the Peterhead forward is one of the most in-form SPFL strikers. After managing more than 20 goals in each of his first three, prodigious seasons at Balmoor, the former Brechin man had a disappointing campaign by his standards last season, with just nine goals. His five-goal spree in the last round meant he had already matched that total by August and, with 12 goals this season, he appears to have rediscovered the Midas touch which made him one of the most sought-after players in the lower leagues.
Stenhousemuir have a fine pedigree in this competition
Sitting eighth in Ladbrokes League 1 and facing a tricky tie at Peterhead, Stenhousemuir are understandably considered one of the outsiders for this year's Petrofac Training Cup. However, this tournament provided the Warriors with one of the finest moments in their history, when they defeated Dundee United in the 1995/96 final. The teams couldn't be separated after a goalless 120 minutes but, after Stenny goalkeeper Roddy McKenzie repelled Craig Brewster's spot-kick, Lloyd Haddow's decisive and successful effort, gave Stenhousemuir their first trophy in 111 years. Up against a fellow League 1 side in this round, and with the possibility of meeting a League 2 team in the semis, Stenhousemuir fans could be forgiven for dreaming of another final.
Shaughan McGuigan
