Michael Hewitt enjoyed a dream debut for Peterhead as he netted a dramatic equaliser to earn the Blue Toon a point at Dunfermline.
The 21-year-old midfielder headed home the leveller three minutes into injury time – less than 24 hours after signing on loan from Ayr United.
Jim McInally’s men found themselves two goals down to the unbeaten Pars as the game entered its closing stages but a scrambled goal from Jason Brown, followed by Hewitt’s grand finale gave the club a welcome point.
Hewitt said: “It was brilliant. That was my first ever goal in my professional career.
“We played really well and to come away with a point was no less than the players deserved.
“Everyone put in a big shift.
“At half time we felt, collectively that there was something in the game for us.
“After going 2-0 down, the gaffer changed the shape of the team to a more attacking formation and as soon as we got the first goal, we felt we could push on and get a second.
“Thankfully we did.
“You know you’re not going to get many chances when you’re playing against the team at the top of the league on their own patch and when they come along, you’ve got to take them.”
After a spectacularly uneventful first half, the visitors almost edged ahead on the hour mark when a thunderous free kick from former Dunfermline midfielder Ryan Dow rattled Deniz Mehmet’s crossbar.
But that merely seemed to generate a wake-up call for the Fifers who took the lead five minutes later when Rhys Breen prodded the ball beyond Tom Ritchie following the failure of the Peterhead defence to deal with a cross from the impressive Josh Edwards.
It looked like striker Nikolay Todorov had sealed victory for the Pars when he fired home from close range six minutes from time but Peterhead demonstrated their resolve with Brown bundling the ball over the line three minutes later before Hewitt headed Andy McDonldd’s cross beyond Mehmet deep into stoppage time.
Hewitt revealed that he trained with his new teammates on Thursday evening and that the deal was finalised on Friday afternoon.
He has joined Peterhead on a season-long loan although parent club, Championship hopefuls Ayr, have the benefit of a recall clause which will enable them to bring the player back to Somerset Park during the January transfer window if required.
Hewitt, however, is firmly focussed on helping the Blue Toon to cast aside their disappointing early season form and to start climbing the table.
He added: “I missed most of last season through injury so I’m hoping now to get as much game time as possible and to do what I can to help the club.
“If I continue to put on performances like that, Im sure the gaffer will give me the chance to do so.”
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