Steven Boyd is confident he will break his Peterhead duck soon, after helping them to an important victory over Dumbarton.
The former Hamilton and East Fife striker played the whole game against the Sons and, although he didn’t score, the 22-year-old showed his class.
The Blue Toon secured the points with Ben Armour’s goal eight minutes from time, despite Derek Lyle missing a penalty earlier in the second half.
Boyd said: “It was good to make my debut and get 90 minutes under my belt again.
“I was surprised I lasted the whole game because I haven’t played much lately, but I just tried to push through it.
“Towards the end I couldn’t stop because we’d used our subs and Ben Armour had gone off injured.
“I probably could’ve scored with some of the positions I was in, but once I’ve got rid of the rustiness I’ll score.
“It was a positive step in right direction for me and it was important for the team to get the win.
“Hopefully we can push as high up the table as possible. We just need to keep going and keep working hard.
“We did that after Derek Lyle missed the penalty. We didn’t stop and got our rewards with the late goal.”
Alongside Boyd, winger Alan Cook made his debut, but the Sons were first to threaten with Joe McKee advancing after Jack Leitch slipped, but Greg Fleming did well to push his 20-yard strike clear.
In the third minute the hosts went even closer, with Lyle glancing a Ryan Conroy free-kick against the post. After that, chances were limited in the first period, with Lyle heading wide from Jamie Stevenson’s delivery and PJ Crossan thwarted by Fleming from just inside the area.
The first moment of excitement in the second period was a cross-cum-shot from Stevenson on the right that Conor Brennan acrobatically tipped away.
Peterhead were awarded a penalty by referee Steven Kirkland just shy of the hour when Stuart Carswell hauled down Boyd after Stevenson’s cross wasn’t cleared, but Lyle fired the spot-kick over the crossbar.
Seconds later, Sam Wardrop made a goal-line clearance after Ryan McGeever headed another Stevenson delivery beyond goalie Brennan.
In the 63rd minute Leitch clipped the right post after taking a Stevenson throw-in then spinning and shooting.
It continued to be all Peterhead and finally the breakthrough arrived in the 82nd minute.
Boyle’s cross was scuffed towards goal by Leitch then fumbled by Brennan and sub Armour rammed home the loose ball.
Two minutes later, the striker had to come off with a torn hamstring but the Blue Toon successfully saw out the closing stages with 10 men to move six points clear of Forfar in ninth.
Boss Jim McInally said: “In the second half we played at a better tempo and I don’t think you could deny us a victory.
“When we missed the penalty it would have been easy to let the heads drop, but they kept going.
“I thought we saw in the second half we saw what Steven will bring to us.
“He’s an entertainer, but he is clever as well.”
Meanwhile, Peterhead midfielder Simon Ferry has signed a new contract until the summer of 2021.