Peterhead gained a well-deserved point against Kelty Hearts in a tight affair at Balmoor.
Clyde’s defeat at at FC Edinburgh means the Blue Toon have closed the gap to two points at the bottom of League One.
Jack Wilkie and Stuart McKenzie were the star performers on a day when both sides had chances to win the game.
The away side took the lead midway through the first half when Jamie Barjonas found Lewis Martin 30 yards out and the centre-half drove forward before unleashing a piledriver into the top left corner past the helpless McKenzie.
The Blue Toon kept pressing and were rewarded on the stroke of half-time when man of the match Wilkie rifled a low free kick under the wall and into the bottom right corner.
Peterhead manager Davie Robertson said: “I thought we were pretty poor today but we were strong enough to grind out a result.
“In the first half we didn’t do what we did last week and we had a bit of a go at them at half time.
“Kelty are a good team and in the past if we had went a goal down we may have folded but we came back and had that confidence of seeing the game out for the last 15 minutes.”
Robertson enthused about the team spirit in the Blue Toon camp, adding: “I think all the players here now are all fighting for the cause.
“I think coming to Balmoor on a Tuesday night for training has helped a lot of them and they now feel the club and the passion within the club, not just in the supporters but the people that work at the club. I’ve noticed the difference in the past two games.”
On closing the gap at the bottom to two points, Robertson said: “We are getting closer but we need to pick up points along the way.
“We can’t just rely on every time we play Clyde, that if we beat Clyde we are going to be ok.
“We have to be good enough and I do think that with each game that comes.
“We didn’t play well today but the cohesion within the team, the fight for each other is there.”
Your #BlueToon line up for today’s @cinchuk League 1 match against @KeltyHeartsFC! pic.twitter.com/Wwso4z1XwF
— Peterhead FC (@pfcofficial) February 25, 2023
Dundee loanee Jack Wilkie was pleased to cap a fine display with a great goal to earn his side a point.
He said: “It was the last minute of the first half and me and Shanks had a conversation and I said I just want to hit it so I just went for it and luckily it went in. I’m buzzing.”
Next up for Peterhead is Falkirk and Robertson hopes for another strong display from his goalkeeper and defenders.
He said: “The whole lot at the back were great, throwing themselves in front of things at the end.
“Stuart is an experienced goalkeeper and that’s why we went for him. The important thing is all the experienced guys are seeing us through.”
Conversation