Peter MacDonald (footballer)
Encyclopedia
Peter Ian Ronald MacDonald (born 17 November 1980 in Glasgow
) is a Scottish
professional footballer who is currently playing with Scottish Football League First Division
team Greenock Morton
.
to help Saints to a 2–1 win.
MacDonald was awarded a three-year contract extension in February 2005. Again, though, he picked up an injury during the 2005–06 pre-season. He appeared – and scored – in the second competitive match of the season, a 4–0 win over Queen of the South
, but returned to the treatment table not long afterwards. It wasn't until February 11 that he next appeared.
In the 2006–07 season, MacDonald was sent off during Saints' 2–2 draw with Ross County
in Dingwall
on 11 November 2006, just thirteen minutes after coming on as a substitute, for a challenge that gave the visitors a last-minute penalty.
MacDonald became the first player to score a hat-trick in the 2009–10 Scottish Premier League
season by scoring three goals against Motherwell
on 26 December 2009; MacDonald scored a "perfect" hat-trick of goals, scoring a goal with each foot and his head.
Top scorer for the Ibrox Under 21 side the previous season, Peter set about getting goals at a first team level with Saints and made a promising start when he scored in a 2–2 home draw against Livingston in just his second starting appearance. However, appearances from the bench were more common than a place in the starting line-up that season and although he featured in over two thirds of the league games that season he scored only two more goals.
Sadly, lengthy spells out through injury have been a feature of Peter’s time with Saints, the first of those came between September 2002 and March 2003 and again the following season when a foot injury meant that he took part in only 19 games.
That injury meant that he did not feature until September 2004 when he was listed for a place on the bench against Falkirk. However a warm-up injury sustained by Chris Hay meant that 'Peaso' was called into the starting eleven and unexpectedly played the full 90 minutes! He didn't score in that game but the following week he scored two goals in the last six minutes to help Saints to a 2–1 win over Partick Thistle after coming on as a substitute.
Despite his injury troubles he was awarded a three year contract extension in February 2005 which will take him through to the summer of 2008. A knock picked up in the summer 05 pre-season meant that he didn't feature in many pre-season matches but he came off the bench in the second competitive match of the season, the 4–0 win over QOS. A long period of absence followed and it was February 11 before he featured again, getting the final 9 minutes against St Mirren but injury aain intervened and the end of 2005/2006 saw him post a league appearance tally of just 2 starts and seven appearances from the bench.
'Peaso' worked hard over the summer of 2006 in the hope that 2006/2007 would be the season that he could finally put his injury troubles behind him. Although used predominantly as a substitute an injury to Steven Milne saw 'Peaso' getting some starting places as 2006 turned to 2007 and he scored the match winning goal in the Scottish Cup 3rd round replay with Ayr United. Remarkably, by the end of the season, he had achieved the feat of taking part in every single competitive match through the extensive league and cup campaign and he has played regularly during 07/08 under first Owen Coyle and then Derek McInnes until the end of the season 2010/11.
Peaso made a scoring start to the 08/09 league season when he cracked home the opening goal in the 2–0 win over Livingston but overall the opening months of the season were disappointing for him as he struggled to get a regular place in the starting line-up.
Fit again, and as the only player who has remained at the club since relegation seven years ago, he was looking to make an impact at SPL level but it was mid-December before he made a starting appearance in a 1–0 win over St Mirren.
He announced his arrival back on the scene in spectacular style just a week later when he netted all three goals in the Boxing Day 3–1 win at Motherwell – the club's first top league level hat trick since 1973! But if Peaso thought that would signal a trouble-free remainder of the season, he was in for further disappointment when he was injured in the act of scoring a goal at Rugby Park in February and his season was over.
However, Peter was given a six month contract to take him through to the end of 2010 and he worked hard towards full fitness with a reappearance in the first team coming towards the end of October.
A contract extension to the end of the 2010/2011 season was celebrated with a match winning goal against Hearts in the Scottish Cup at Tynecastle on 11 January.
in July 2011 after a lengthy trial to join his team-mate at Saints, Andy Jackson, on the tail of the bank.
Glasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
) is a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
professional footballer who is currently playing with Scottish Football League First Division
Scottish Football League First Division
The Irn-Bru Scottish Football League First Division Championship is the highest division of the Scottish Football League and the second highest in the Scottish football league system....
team Greenock Morton
Greenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
.
Career
His time in Perth has been dogged by injury, firstly in September 2002 and again just six months later. He next featured in September 2004, and after coming on as a substitute, MacDonald scored two goals in the last six minutes against Partick ThistlePartick Thistle F.C.
Partick Thistle Football Club are a professional association football club from Glasgow. Despite their name, the club are based in the Maryhill area of the city, and have not played in Partick since 1908...
to help Saints to a 2–1 win.
MacDonald was awarded a three-year contract extension in February 2005. Again, though, he picked up an injury during the 2005–06 pre-season. He appeared – and scored – in the second competitive match of the season, a 4–0 win over Queen of the South
Queen of the South F.C.
Queen of the South Football Club is a Scottish professional football club founded in 1919 and located in Dumfries. The club currently plays in the Scottish First Division, the second tier of Scottish football. They are officially nicknamed The Doonhamers, but usually referred to as Queens or QoS...
, but returned to the treatment table not long afterwards. It wasn't until February 11 that he next appeared.
In the 2006–07 season, MacDonald was sent off during Saints' 2–2 draw with Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
in Dingwall
Dingwall
Dingwall is a town and former royal burgh in the Highland council area of Scotland. It has a population of 5,026. It was formerly an east-coast harbor but now lies inland. Dingwall Castle was once the biggest castle north of Stirling. On the town's present-day outskirts lies Tulloch Castle, parts...
on 11 November 2006, just thirteen minutes after coming on as a substitute, for a challenge that gave the visitors a last-minute penalty.
MacDonald became the first player to score a hat-trick in the 2009–10 Scottish Premier League
2009–10 Scottish Premier League
The 2009–10 Scottish Premier League season was the twelfth season of the Scottish Premier League. Rangers were the defending champions and they retained the championship with three games to spare by winning 1–0 against Hibernian at Easter Road on 25 April...
season by scoring three goals against Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
on 26 December 2009; MacDonald scored a "perfect" hat-trick of goals, scoring a goal with each foot and his head.
St Johnstone
One of the most natural goalscorers on the books at McDiarmid Park, ‘Peaso’ joined the club in August 2001 when, having received a substantial fee from Celtic for Momo Sylla, manager Sandy Clark was able to pay a fee of £125,000 to Rangers for his services.Top scorer for the Ibrox Under 21 side the previous season, Peter set about getting goals at a first team level with Saints and made a promising start when he scored in a 2–2 home draw against Livingston in just his second starting appearance. However, appearances from the bench were more common than a place in the starting line-up that season and although he featured in over two thirds of the league games that season he scored only two more goals.
Sadly, lengthy spells out through injury have been a feature of Peter’s time with Saints, the first of those came between September 2002 and March 2003 and again the following season when a foot injury meant that he took part in only 19 games.
That injury meant that he did not feature until September 2004 when he was listed for a place on the bench against Falkirk. However a warm-up injury sustained by Chris Hay meant that 'Peaso' was called into the starting eleven and unexpectedly played the full 90 minutes! He didn't score in that game but the following week he scored two goals in the last six minutes to help Saints to a 2–1 win over Partick Thistle after coming on as a substitute.
Despite his injury troubles he was awarded a three year contract extension in February 2005 which will take him through to the summer of 2008. A knock picked up in the summer 05 pre-season meant that he didn't feature in many pre-season matches but he came off the bench in the second competitive match of the season, the 4–0 win over QOS. A long period of absence followed and it was February 11 before he featured again, getting the final 9 minutes against St Mirren but injury aain intervened and the end of 2005/2006 saw him post a league appearance tally of just 2 starts and seven appearances from the bench.
'Peaso' worked hard over the summer of 2006 in the hope that 2006/2007 would be the season that he could finally put his injury troubles behind him. Although used predominantly as a substitute an injury to Steven Milne saw 'Peaso' getting some starting places as 2006 turned to 2007 and he scored the match winning goal in the Scottish Cup 3rd round replay with Ayr United. Remarkably, by the end of the season, he had achieved the feat of taking part in every single competitive match through the extensive league and cup campaign and he has played regularly during 07/08 under first Owen Coyle and then Derek McInnes until the end of the season 2010/11.
Peaso made a scoring start to the 08/09 league season when he cracked home the opening goal in the 2–0 win over Livingston but overall the opening months of the season were disappointing for him as he struggled to get a regular place in the starting line-up.
Fit again, and as the only player who has remained at the club since relegation seven years ago, he was looking to make an impact at SPL level but it was mid-December before he made a starting appearance in a 1–0 win over St Mirren.
He announced his arrival back on the scene in spectacular style just a week later when he netted all three goals in the Boxing Day 3–1 win at Motherwell – the club's first top league level hat trick since 1973! But if Peaso thought that would signal a trouble-free remainder of the season, he was in for further disappointment when he was injured in the act of scoring a goal at Rugby Park in February and his season was over.
However, Peter was given a six month contract to take him through to the end of 2010 and he worked hard towards full fitness with a reappearance in the first team coming towards the end of October.
A contract extension to the end of the 2010/2011 season was celebrated with a match winning goal against Hearts in the Scottish Cup at Tynecastle on 11 January.
Morton
MacDonald signed for Greenock MortonGreenock Morton F.C.
Greenock Morton Football Club are a Scottish professional football club, who currently play in the Scottish Football League First Division. The club was founded as Morton Football Club in 1874, making it one of the oldest senior Scottish clubs....
in July 2011 after a lengthy trial to join his team-mate at Saints, Andy Jackson, on the tail of the bank.