Captain Scott Brown believes Peterhead’s last three results show they can start looking up the table rather than down.
The Blue Toon have taken seven points from a possible nine in their last three fixtures having defeated East Fife and Partick Thistle before drawing with Montrose.
The Buchan outfit return to action this weekend when they take on north-east rivals Cove Rangers at the Balmoral Stadium.
With Peterhead sixth in League One, three points behind Cove who occupy the final promotion play-off spot in fourth – Brown is hoping Jim McInally’s men can maintain their form and start looking up the table rather than over their shoulder.
The midfielder said: “I think the last three results have shown that we can start looking up the table.
“We started OK taking 12 points from the first third, and we started the second third with a point against Montrose.
“Hopefully we can build on that and get more points in this third, but it’s one of those leagues where you know everyone is going to take points off each other.
“If we could beat Cove it might even take us back into the play-offs things are that tight
“Seven points out of the last three games is something we can’t argue with.
“We need to keep that going and if we do we’ll be there challenging for the play-offs.”
Peterhead weren’t in action on Boxing Day after agreeing with Montrose to move that fixture to December 22.
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Skipper Brown hopes the 12-day gap between matches over the festive period will help the Buchan outfit.
The 26-year-old added: “It will probably do us good because we had a tough game against Partick and then we were playing Montrose three days later.
“So the break will hopefully help us. The next game is Cove which is another big game against a team around us.
“Hopefully we can win it and push up the table again.”
Brown hasn’t missed a game yet this season for Peterhead and has shown his quality in recent weeks by netting the winning goals against East Fife and Partick Thistle.
The skipper is usually at his best when able to drive forward from midfield, however, in the 1-1 draw with Montrose before Christmas he had to rein in that attacking instinct.
Injuries to Gary Fraser and Gary MacKenzie meant Jim McInally had to reshuffle his midfield with Brown in more of a holding role.
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The former St Johnstone player said: “I’ve been pleased with my own performances and it’s helped that the team has done well.
“When the same is doing well it allows you to look on what you’ve done a bit more favourably.
“I got a couple of winners, but to be fair Steven Boyd put it on a plate for me against Partick and the East Fife one was just a strike you get every so often.
“But I need to keep it going after Christmas now. I always feel most comfortable if I’ve got Simon Ferry or somebody else sitting behind me.
“It’s not that they’re doing my work, but it allows me to drive forward and know that there is cover behind.
“In the second half against Montrose with the reshuffle we had to do I was a bit quieter in terms of getting forward.”
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