Peterhead suffered their fourth defeat in a row and drop to the bottom of League One after losing 3-0 at East Fife.
Second-half goals from Kevin Smith, Connor McManus and Danny Denholm earned Darren Young’s side the points, after they had started the day propping up the league.
For the Blue Toon it was more of the same. After losing to Airdrieonians last weekend, they failed to put enough pressure on the East Fife goal and were left to count the cost.
Peterhead were without left-back Ryan Conroy, who had been ill during the week, meaning a shift out wide for centre-back Andy McDonald. Andy McCarthy and Russell McLean came in for Danny Strachan and Derek Lyle in the other two changes.
The visitors started with greater impetus and without creating clear-cut chances, were providing a threat with Scott Brown and McLean both having forays into the box that lacked a taker for the final ball.
Skipper Brown sent a free-kick into the clutches of Scott Gallacher before McLean deflected Lyall Cameron’s strike into the goalkeeper’s grateful clutches.
A blocked effort from Aaron Dunsmore was the sum total of what East Fife had to offer in the first period, with Peterhead hitting the woodwork three times before the interval.
The first came through Niah Payne, with Gallacher turning the ball onto the post, before Ritchie and McDonald seeing crosses come back off the frame of the goal.
Peterhead were punished inside the first three minutes of the second half. Brett Long came rushing out of his goal to get to a loose ball but was beaten to it by Jamie Semple, who was able to lift it towards the back post. With Long still out of position, Smith finished high into the net.
It gave the hosts a new lease of life and further frustrated the visitors. Aside from a few dangerous balls into the box, the Blue Toon were not looking like finding a way back into the game.
They were made to suffer further on 69 minutes after Jason Brown tripped Semple in the box. McManus rolled in the penalty to hand East Fife a 2-0 lead.
Manager Jim McInally had rang the changes, bringing on Lyle and Jordon Brown, but they were made to suffer further in the closing stages as Andrew Osei-Bonsu squared for Denholm to roll in the third.
