Peterhead 1-5 Forfar Athletic (2-7)
- Published
Forfar Athletic celebrate an early strike from Lewis Milne on their way back to League One
Forfar Athletic stormed into League One, taking the place of Peterhead, with a convincing display in the second leg of the play-off final at Balmoor.
The visitors, 2-1 up from the first game, went ahead through Lewis Milne, with David Cox adding to their lead.
Danny Denholm fired home early in the second half and Aiden Malone knocked in a back-heel finish.
Scott Brown pulled one back for Peterhead before Josh Peters completed the rout from close range.
The visitors made the perfect start on five minutes when Milne raced on to a through ball to slip his shot under keeper Graeme Smith from 14 yards.
The second goal arrived on 17 minutes when Cox steered in a Milne pass from a couple of yards.
Nicky Riley had a shot blocked for a corner and Leighton McIntosh saw his header clawed away by keeper Grant Adam as the home side pressed for a goal to give them some hope but Forfar, with a strong wind at their back, looked dangerous on the counter attack.
Denholm cracked in a powerful left foot shot six minutes after the restart from the left side of the Peterhead box to leave the home side with an impossible task.
Substitute Malone piled the misery on for the Balmoor side back-heeling in the fourth goal from close in.
Peterhead reduced the deficit when Brown rifled a low shot in from 22 yards but substitute Peters then knocked in his 17th goal of the season as the Loons marched back into the third tier at the first time of asking.
Forfar Athletic manager Gary Bollan: "We expected a tight game because Peterhead are a good side and not many teams come here and score five goals.
"We were without Gavin Swankie, who has been influential for us this season, but Lewis Milne filled his boots and got the first goal.
"We felt if we kept the ball well enough we could catch them on the break and cause them problems. Our back four were magnificent, getting the ball into wide areas and into midfield. At times, we cut them open.
"After the disappointment of relegation last season, we had a huge job in front of us. We probably should have won the league but we've done it the hard way."