Give Peterhead substance over style and they will take it every day of the week.
But a healthy dose of both will go a long way in a league which is proving more unpredictable each week.
Their 2-1 win over East Fife, ground out with 10 men, was a tale of two wonderfully-taken goals and dogged resolve when the tide turned against them.
Lyall Cameron, the livewire Dundee loanee, seized his moment with a first-time strike through a crowd of players in the first half to put the home side in front.
Danny Denholm had East Fife level at half-time after he and Jack Hamilton caught the Blue Toon defence unaware, beating their offside trap and combining for the former to roll in to an empty net.
Scott Brown, a man who was unhappy with his goal return last season, set about rectifying that in superb fashion.
Five minutes into the second half he latched on to a deflected cross and from the edge of the area drove a sumptuous volley into the top corner via a slight deflection.
Their adversity came with 25 minutes to go, with Gary Fraser given a straight red card by referee Graham Beaton, but with all hands on deck Peterhead swept up the three points.
“It’s a brilliant outcome,” said Peterhead boss Jim McInally. “They’re a good side and to play as long with 10 men as we did is pleasing. We never really got opened up at any point and there was a lot of hard work that went into that.
“We had spells in the game and I thought we deserved to be ahead.
“It was tough, but I’m proud of them because our goalkeeper has not really been troubled.
“They’ve got a lot of character about them and I thought defensively they were outstanding. As was Kieran Freeman in the middle of the park.”
The Fraser incident sticks in the craw; McInally felt the linesman on the touchline should not have got involved in the altercation between the Blue Toon midfielder and Ross Davidson, which saw Beaton dismiss Fraser for an apparent elbow.
It is a decision which McInally expects the club to appeal but he saw it as galvanising his team rather than holding them below the waterline.
“The linesman says he raised his elbow but I’ve seen it and it’s not a sending off,” added McInally. “I don’t know why the linesman wants to get involved in that. In fact, the most bizarre part of it is it was our free-kick.
“If they do their job properly then the flash-point doesn’t happen. I’d be shocked if we didn’t appeal it. The camera has stayed on it for a while – both players have faced up to each other and that’s it.”
Bodies were thrown in the way and crosses defended as well, but, to their great credit, Peterhead prevented the need for goalkeeper Josh Rae to make a save. The closest they came was in the closing stages with a header from Hamilton, which he directed straight at Rae.
Brown’s goal was one fitting to win any game, with the midfielder showing perfect technique to catch the ball sweetly and send it past Brett Long.
It is the Blue Toon’s third league win of the season and one which lifts them a little clearer of the bottom end of the table.
League One continues to be in flux. Cove dropped to their second defeat on the bounce and third in total away at Dumbarton, while Montrose’s resurgence continued with victory at Airdrie.
Peterhead showed resiliency to come through this test, with the captain leading from the front.
“We criticised Scott at half-time for his one in the first half that he’s curled by the post,” said McInally.
“But it’s a great strike and great technique. It takes a wee deflection, which probably helps it on his way, and it’s good for Scott as he was a wee bit disappointed with his tally last year.
“It’s a great result for us and you just need to look at the results in this league to see it’s cut-throat.
“We’ve been up and down a wee bit and in the last two games our first half performances have cost us badly. You pay the price in this league; we nearly paid the price for a refereeing decision but we came through it.”
