Peterhead defender Jason Brown has urged the team to stick together as they try to weather a stormy beginning to their campaign.
Brown missed the first three games of the League Cup through suspension, owing to a red card he picked up at the end of last season.
His absence has coincided with a very challenging start for the Blue Toon, who have lost all of their matches without scoring a goal. In their last two, they have only been able to name a squad of 12 players.
The Peterhead defender returns to the side this weekend for their final fixture against Stirling Albion but Paul Dixon will miss out after his dismissal against Dumbarton.
‘Massive ask’ for Peterhead to face full-time teams
It has been a thankless task for manager Jim McInally, so far, to pull a squad together but Brown hopes they can rally through the adversity.
“There’s no getting away from it, it’s been tough,” he said. “Boys who have come in have been chucked in at the deep end, when they’ve not played much football in the last year or so.
“It’s a massive ask for them to be chucked in against full-time teams. It’s been really tough for everyone.
“It’s not going to get any easier but we just have to stick together and aim for the Airdrie game. Hopefully we can get a few players back for that game and maybe a couple of additions.
“Since I’ve been at Peterhead we’ve always given a good account of ourselves in the cup. We want to be competitive straight away.
“We can easily make excuses but performances individually have not been good and it’s something we need to address.”
Brown is one of the longest-serving players at the club, following the summer departures of Simon Ferry and Scott Brown.
There is a sense of making up for lost time for the centre-back after his extended break from the starting line-up.
Experience could make difference
“It’s been a long summer for me, as I missed two games at the end of last season,” said Brown. “I played a few pre-season games but missing the Aberdeen game was a big blow.
“I’ve been training well and I’m just looking to get back on the pitch and get my match-fitness back up to where it should be.
“It’s been frustrating not being able to help out, seeing the squad so low on numbers. We’ve had 12 players for three games which is not functionable for any team at any level.”
Brown feels the return of fellow defender Ryan Strachan will prove key, with the former Cove Rangers man currently recuperating from Achilles surgery.
“Myself and Ryan are really good pals,” added Brown. “We work together and I see him every day – there’s no getting away from him.
“He’s a great signing for us. We’ve all seen how good he has been for Cove; he is all about winning and that’s the key characteristic we need in our team.
“Experience is something we lacked last season and with Paul Dixon and Ryan Dow coming in as well, we’re looking for these guys to have a positive effect on the team.”