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Peterhead 2-0 Alloa: McInally encouraged by Blue Toon’s blossoming strike partnership

Niah Payne celebrates his goal with striker partner Russell McLean.
Niah Payne celebrates his goal with striker partner Russell McLean.

Peterhead manager Jim McInally hailed his new strike partnership as the Blue Toon secured a first opening day win since 2017.

Both Russell McLean and Niah Payne scored and set up a goal apiece with relegated Alloa providing little in the way of defiance on their return to League One.

In truth, the Balmoor men never really had to waltz out of second gear with McInally afterwards admitting he’ll be banking on the new look forward line more regularly.

“We’ve got high hopes for that (McLean-Payne partnership).

“Niah didn’t play particularly well last week but he works tirelessly, today he worked just as hard and played well.

“I said to him as long as he keeps working at it the time will come for him to get goals.

“You could see the confidence in him even when he made the first goal, he showed great pace and it was a really good cross.

“They will be a handful to play against and that’s why I think it’s important that we get the two of them on the pitch as often as we can, rather than just sitting in and trying to keep compact.

“We’re a wee bit open in the way we play, that’s just the way it is going to be.”

The Peterhead boss added: “It’s been a while since we won our opening day game and it helps get points on the board.

“Alloa are a good side, they were minus a few players which was a wee bonus to us but its still a really good three points.

“I thought we played well with the ball in the first half and up until we scored the second goal, we did better without the ball than in the first half.

“We did the dirty side of the game well, in the first half Alloa could have opened us up once or twice although they didn’t particularly hurt us.

“We worked better without the ball although we didn’t have enough possession as I would have liked but I can’t complain.

“It was a great effort from the players.”

Peterhead notched in front after just eight minutes, Payne showing incredible pace to burst past his man on the right hand flank before centring for McLean to score with the first time finish from six yards out.

The hosts looked the far sharper during the first half-hour and David Hutton needed all his frame to push over Simon Ferry’s scooped effort.

Alloa had eight of their summer signings in the starting line-up but had really failed to gain much of a foothold with new boss Barry Ferguson making two changes at the interval.

It did little to turn the tide as Adam King had to nod Andrew McDonald’s header off the goal line.

And the second goal came just after the hour with a role reversal, this time McLean’s burst from the right and supply into the six-yard box being finished off by Payne.

The former Bradford City man came close again soon after, cracking a drive just past the near post and into the hoardings after another excellent feed from McLean, but Peterhead were able to see the game out in relative comfort as the Wasps were given a reminder of the harsh realities of this division.