Peterhead coach David Nicholls praised his players after the Blue Toon snatched three points from under the noses of Livingston at Almondvale on Saturday.
League 1 leaders Livi created 19 chances in a match dominated by the men in black but the spoils were spirited back up the road by the Blue Toon with two good goals on the counter-attack.
The visitors resisted some heavy Lions pressure and first-team coach David Nicholls felt the Balmoor men were worthy of their success.
He said: “Given the conditions – the pitch was not conducive to good football – the boys battled away and gave us what we needed. I thought we could have stolen another couple of goals.
“Livingston had a lot of possession and a lot of pressure but, other than the one that hit the bar and another ricochet, they never really threatened us. I cannot remember our goalkeeper Graeme Smith having an unbelievable save.”
The home side started on the front foot and the strike partnership of Liam Buchanan and Danny Mullen consistently perplexed the away defence with some crisp and incisive passing.
Ryan Strachan had to extend a toe to prevent Buchanan firing his side in front before the former Partick Thistle attacker had the ball in the net only for his effort to be ruled offside.
Buchanan again was in the thick of the action, setting up Josh Mullins with a clear path to goal but the winger could only fire straight at the body of Smith.
While Livingston were spurning their chances, Jim McInally’s men took the lead after 39 minutes thanks to a deflection that played Rory McAllister onside. The forward slipped a cross into the six-yard box and, just as it looked like Sean Crighton would clear the danger, Leighton McIntosh nipped in to bundle the ball over the line.
Livi resumed the bombardment after half-time, with Danny Mullen spurning the easiest chance of his career, receiving the ball two yards from goal but still managing to find a way to knock his effort over the bar. Mullen rattled the woodwork with his next effort only for Peterhead to race down the other end to double their lead after 74 minutes. A slip in defence by Craig Halkett provided Scott Brown the opportunity to find the bottom corner from just outside the box.
Buchanan was able to offer some hope with an 80th-minute consolation strike as the forward hit the ball over a stranded Smith but it was too little too late in a match that left Livingston manager David Hopkin frustrated with the standard of the officiating.
“I felt some of the decisions that went against us were very poor.
“For their first goal Rory McAllister is standing four yards offside. I have to be careful what I say, that is all I am saying.”
