Peterhead 0-0 Falkirk: Bairns held at Balmoor

Not since 2007 when they beat Gretna 4-0, have the Bairns recorded victory in their first league match and that run was extended in this League One curtain raiser after they failed to breach a stubborn home resistance.

The Bairns brought a shirt sleeved army of fans north for this league opener with last season's Division Two champions.

The visitors fielded an impressively strong startingXI that would have graced a match in the Championship whilst their hosts were missing suspended marksman Rory McAllister, their five-goal destroyer when the sides last met in a League Cup tie.

Falkirk were the first to get into their stride and Charlie Telfer forced Greg Fleming into an eighth minute save by the left hand post at the expense of a corner.

Three minutes later Michael Tidser flighted in a perfectly weighted free kick from the right which Gregor Buchanan glanced wide of the left hand post.

Peterhead were playing a cautious game, sitting deep and ensuring the visitors didn't over run them in the early stages but it was Falkirk again on the quarter hour, a whipped corner from the left by Ian McShane finding the head of Michael Doyle at the back post with Fleming plucking the ball out of the air with ease.

Morgano Gomis pushed forward after 23 minutes to try his luck with a 25 yard grounder that Fleming kept his eye on to gather comfortably.

As the half hour approached, Mark Durnan limped off to be replaced by Lewis Toshney.

Peterhead were more positive at the start of the second half as they needed to be but Falkirk had a menacing look about them as they upped the pace and Buchanan wasn't far away with a diving header from a Tidser corner on the right as the game began to flow from end to end.

The Blue Toon had a rare pop at goal in the 65th minute, a Gary Fraser free kick from fully 25 yards that was wide of the mark. The visitors response was immediate, Declan McManus determined to shoot rather than pass and firing weakly wide.

Peterhead decided to go for broke as the game entered the latter stages and a Mick Dunlop header following a corner was plucked from the air by Cammy Bell.

But The Bairns weren't able to show the guile to break down a resilient Peterhead side and they were definitely the happier of the two sides after this league opener.