Peterhead picked the ideal time to pick up their first victory under new boss David Robertson as they moved off the bottom of League One.
The 1-0 victory against Clyde moved the Blue Toon above Saturday’s opponents who now occupy the relegation spot.
The game’s only goal came after 51 minutes courtesy of a back-heeled effort from recent signing Kieran Shanks.
Manager Robertson said: “It’s been a few games. It’s the first goal we’ve managed to score (since taking charge) and getting the three points was crucial.
“Getting ourselves above Clyde was the target before the game but now we’ve got to try and stay there.
“It’s a great feeling when you win.
“The players are enjoying it but they thoroughly deserved the victory.
“The conditions were difficult but I don’t think they realised the pressure before the game.
“If we had lost that match we would have been five points behind them but now we’re a point ahead and it just totally changes the mood.
“When I came in we had no strikers.
“Step by step we’re now a bit better at the back and we’ve managed to get strikers in.
“We have guys who can score and we’re creating chances.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be a quick fix. It’s a slow process and we probably played better in the three previous games, Dunfermline aside.
“We were under a bit of pressure in the last five minutes but we showed good desire and hopefully we can kick on.
“It’s not just about this one game, we have to do it again against Queen of the South next week.
“We’re still adding to the squad, we’ve another couple to come in, so we’re getting there but it was important to get that win for everyone at this club.”
Scorer Shanks, who has joined the club on loan from Arbroath, said the result had helped lift the mood after the club’s 16-game run without a win.
He said: “You should see it in the changing room after the game – it just lifted the spirits and we’ll look to carry that into next weekend.
“That’s us off the bottom of the table so we can get a bit of momentum and hopefully keep winning.
“We’re not where we would like to be but it’s a start.”
Your #BlueToon line up for this afternoon’s @cinchuk clash with @ClydeFC #BlueToon 🔵⚪️💙 pic.twitter.com/MCcy01AriR
— Peterhead FC (@pfcofficial) January 21, 2023
Peterhead boss Robertson was also delighted with some of the individual performances from his team.
He added: “Kieran and Ryan Strachan almost missed the game with injuries but they managed to play through it.
“I think Jack Brown is best as a number ten and he linked up well.
“Kieran is probably the first goalscore of note we’ve in the time I’ve been here. We’ve got Daniel Fosu who is big presence as well but we knew Kieran and Jack’s pace would cause them problems.
“Andy McCarthy does what Andy McCarthy does, when we’re under a bit of pressure, he keeps possession.
“Sometimes you get infuriated by him but he’s got a great attitude.”
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