Peterhead slumped to a comprehensive defeat at the hands of an in-form Raith Rovers side at Stark’s Park – the result ending the momentum generated by the Blue Toon players in recent weeks as a result of victories over Forfar and Stranraer.
An early strike from Grant Anderson laid the foundation for the Fifers, who dominated the first half.
Michael Miller increased the advantage on the half-hour mark before Lewis Vaughan added the third just after the interval.
Miller was on target again in the 67th minute.
Balmoor goalkeeper Greg Fleming said: “We were battered today. That’s twice we’ve come down here and been beaten heavily.
“The gameplan suffers when you lose an early goal like we did but it’s still possible to get back into the game.
“But when the second one goes in, that’s when it kills you.”
Fleming was busy for most of the first 45 minutes and he made an outstanding save to prevent Raith’s Lewis Vaughan from giving the home side a 3-0 interval advantage.
Vaughan was not to be denied however, making it 3-0 early in the second half and from that position there was no way back for Jim McInally’s men.
Fleming said: “There’s always hope when you’re only two goals down at half-time but the game was over when the third one went in.”
Raith, no doubt encouraged by their Challenge Cup victory over Falkirk the previous Saturday, started the game positively and put a marker down with Anderson’s seventh-inute opener.
The winger ran on to a superbly-weighted pass from Kieran MacDonald before sending a precise low shot beyond Fleming.
Defender Miller then fired home the first of his two goals, capitalising on uncertainty in the Peterhead defence before lashing the ball high into the net from 12 yards out.
The third goal, while brilliant in its execution, occurred following another defensive mix-up.
A long ball out of defence caught out Jason Brown and left Fleming stranded as Vaughan sent a delicate lob over the Peterhead keeper’s head and into the corner of the net.
Fleming said: “It was just a ball over the top.
“I thought Jason was going to head it back to me but he missed it and I was caught out. It was a great finish by Vaughan – you can‘t take that away from him.”
Miller rammed home his second, and Raith’s fourth of the afternoon, midway through the second half to seal victory for the title-chasing Fifers, who now sit in second place in the League 1 table, two points behind local rivals East Fife.
Peterhead’s league record six games into the season comprises two wins, two draws and two defeats and Fleming is hopeful that their position can be improved when Clyde make the trip to visit the Balmoor Stadium this weekend.
He said: “A couple of draws could have been turned into victories and, of course, there was the game we lost to Dumbarton when we were two goals in front.
“It would have been good to follow up our two recent wins with a better result today.”
Fleming added: “We were without our main striker Rory McAllister who is suspended and when that happens we always miss his height strength and presence up front.
“We just need to dust ourselves down now and get ready for the Clyde game.”