Peterhead manager Jim McInally will add French-Algerian Karim Belmokhtar to his squad after the trialist striker came on as a second-half substitute to score during Saturday’s 2-0 victory against Cowdenbeath at Central Park.
Belmokhtar fired home his side’s second goal in stoppage time.
“Karim played for Edinburgh City earlier in the season,” said McInally. “He scored two wonder goals for them in a game against Clyde but he left under a bit of a cloud. Although he’s playing as a trialist he will be signing for us. It’s just a case of sorting a few things out with his agent.”
McInally also paid tribute to teenage striker Russell McLean, who followed up his midweek hat-trick against Annan Athletic with the opening goal in Saturday’s encounter.
“A lot of people are saying Russell’s still got this to do and that to do,” said the Balmoor boss. “But they forget he’s only 19. He’s scored 13 goals this season and I’m delighted for him. I’m pleased with him, he’s a terrific player, very skilful and it’s great to have him there at times like this when Rory McAllister’s not available.
“You hear people saying we’re a one-man team, so it’s good to win knowing that we’ve still got Rory to come back some time. He’ll probably be out for two or three weeks but his little boy is not well just now, so he probably wouldn’t have been playing today anyway.
“I also thought David McCracken was fantastic today, really strong at the heart of our defence.”
McAllister is also looking to guide his team to the League 2 top spot tomorrow night if they can overcome Clyde at home, although he feels that, not for the first time, the predicted cold weather could have a part to play.
“We’ve got a chance like we had before when we went top but we were out of action for a couple of weeks due to the weather.
“We played Clyde not that long ago, so we know all about them – it will be a tough game but we don’t know what’s going to happen with the weather this week.”
Disappointed Cowdenbath player-coach Mark Fotheringham, whose players have not tasted victory since the opening day of the league season, paid tribute to the visitors after the game.
“They’re a really good side,” he said, “Jason Brown, to me, is the best right back in the league. He’s big, strong, likes to go and head the ball – David McCracken’s made a career of doing that . . . he goes for the ball and clears it. We need players who can do that. We have got to win games.”
