Derek Lyle has never been relegated in his 20-year career and he doesn’t intend starting this season.
The Peterhead striker is set to face Falkirk today as the Buchan side look to move away from League One relegation trouble in their final 10 games.
The Blue Toon have taken just four points from seven games in 2020 and are sitting eighth in the table just two points above Forfar Athletic in the relegation play-off place.
Lyle believes a couple of wins could give Jim McInally’s side a welcome lift.
The 39-year-old, who has scored six goals this term, is determined to add to that tally to help the Balmoor side stay out of trouble.
The former Queen of the South, Morton, Hamilton and Dundee hitman said: “I’ve never been relegated in my career and I don’t want to add it to me CV.
“I’ve had a few promotions, but never a relegation and I don’t want to start now.
“I’ve been in a couple of situations where it’s been like this and it’s tight and then a couple of results can dig you out and you turn the corner.
“It’s about trying to get the results to lift us. It’s hard when you’re part-time and only training a couple of times a week and you don’t have as much time to work on things.
“But it’s 11 v 11 every week so anything can happen and hopefully we can get the results we need.
“I’m desperate to help the team and if I can get a few goals in the next few weeks then that might go a long way.
“If we can keep clean sheets as well it gives us a good platform and if us strikers can score a few goals then I think we’ll be fine.”
Being the most experienced member of the Peterhead squad Lyle believes it’s important not to panic during the run-in.
He hopes an upturn in form can be sparked by an upset against full-time Falkirk this afternoon.
He added: “The worst thing you can do in this situation is panic and people get nervous and don’t want the ball.
“We can’t do that, we need to go out and play football. We’ve got a good team, but we need to prove that. In these situations it’s about working hard as a team and things will turn for us.
“It would be massive for us to get a result in this game. It could maybe be a turning point for us to kick on.
“We’ve been unlucky in games, but we can’t keep saying that because I think you make your own luck.
“We need to be tighter as a group and work hard to get a result and if we can get it then it would set us up really well.”
Lyle is one of four strikers available to Peterhead today along with Steven Boyd, Aidan Smith and Ben Armour.
Lyle believes the different options for Blue Toon manager McInally can help them achieve a positive result.
He said: “We’ve got good options and the gaffer can change things as he wishes.
“He can play two up or he can go with pace to play in behind into the channels or he can use me to try to hold the ball up and bring others into play.
“We’ve got good options and the gaffer will use them how he thinks is best.”
Defender Scott Hooper is out with glandular fever.
