NO GREG ON OUR FACES
Hero keeper saves day for Jim’s title tips
Peterhead boss Jim McInally heaped praise on keeper Greg Fleming as they staged a late rally to nick the points.
The tit le favour ites struggled for long periods and needed their on-song goalie to keep them in the game after Annan captain Peter Watson had nodded a first-half opener.
But Blue Toon got their act together af ter a triple substitution and levelled with f ive minutes lef t through David McCracken before Jamie Stevenson’s stoppage-time winner.
McInal ly said: “I ’ m delighted with the result but if it wasn’t for our keeper we could have been two or three down. One of the saves was out of this world – I don’t know how he got to it.
“We were okay for 15 minutes or so and I thought we thought we were going to dictate the game – but we were poor for most of the first half.
“Af ter the break we showed a great attitude to keep battling away. The performance wasn’t good but the character was.
“Even when it went 1-1, I was pleased we kept trying to go for the win – we weren’t prepared to take a point. The winner was fantastic.”
Annan’s starting line-up featured nine new faces, with Peter Watson and
Anthony Brown
Steven Swinglehurst the only survivors from last season af ter a summer rebuild by new player/ boss Peter Murphy.
The Blue Toon, relegated from League One last term, began with six new signings but w i thout banned talisman Rory McAllister.
Athletic claimed the lead in 28 minutes when centreback Watson, up for a corner, glanced in a header after Daniel Orsi had fired a cross back into the danger area.
Watson came close to making it 2-0 with a couple of headers within the space of a few seconds in the 38th minute, both saved by the classy Fleming.
Peterhead started the second half on the front foot and got more on top as they game wore on. The equaliser finally came five minutes from time when McCracken hooked in from close range after a corner.
Stevenson then won it in stoppage time with a terrific 30-yard strike.
Annan boss Murphy said: “It’s hard to take, especially considering how well we played in the first half.
“Fleming made some great saves for them. I’m disappointed with the result but I couldn’t have asked for any more from the lads.”