David Robertson hopes Peterhead can reap the benefits of bringing their training base back home.
The Blue Toon have been training at Balmoor during the week in a bid to reduce the demands of travelling on their squad.
Players had been travelling to Dundee for twice-weekly sessions, with a handful of them based in the City of Discovery.
But now players from Dundee and Aberdeen will train at Peterhead’s home ground, while their three central belt-based players – Andy McCarthy, Boris Melingui and Cody McLeod – will be taken for sessions by coach Jimmy Lindsay.
“Some of them were finding it difficult training twice a week in Dundee,” said Robertson. “Because we’ve got a number of players who can train any time and we just felt it was easier.
“What I find now is the players enjoy it. They come in to a proper club, go into the dressing room, and feeling more part of the club.
“Most of them just come to the club on a weekend, are so focused on the game, then disappear down the road again. It’s definitely been beneficial.”
Robertson also has no concerns about the Balmoor surface cutting up given its extra use, with three home games to come before the end of March.
“What we tend to do is use one half one week and use the other half the next,” he added. “Maybe when the lighter nights come in, we’ll train somewhere else in Peterhead.
“We’re starting at 6.30pm; when we’re training in Dundee it’s an 8.30pm start and you’re not getting finished until 10pm.
“It’s given everybody a lift, even the boys that have to travel to get there. That’s two weeks we’ve done it and we’ve had no complaints.”
Peterhead’s defeat to Clyde last weekend puts them three points adrift at the bottom of League One ahead of facing Kelty Hearts today.
Curing his side’s lack of goals would be a start to solving Peterhead’s problems. They have just 12 goals in 25 league games and their five strikers – Daniel Fosu, Kieran Shanks, John Allan, Josh Oyinsan and Boris Melingui – have 22 goals in senior football between them. By contrast, centre-backs Jason Brown and Ryan Strachan have a combined 35.
“We caused Clyde so many problems last week – we just need to find that cutting edge,” said Robertson. “If we get one, we’ll get few.
“We seem a bit more secure at the back now. It’s almost like a new team and Saturday was probably the first time it came together.
“When I first came in we had no strikers. Now we’ve got Josh, Dan, Kieran, Boris, John Allan – a host of strikers. We’re a bit spoilt for chance.
“A lot of things have fallen for Dan and unfortunately he hasn’t taken them. The pleasing thing is we’re creating chances and it’s up to someone to stamp their authority on it and become the top goalscorer.”
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