BILLY BROWN has already made it clear what he thinks about the merits of his East Fife squad.
The withering critique delivered by the manager in an impassioned post-match rant – one captured for internet infamy – a few weeks ago left little doubt that he felt they were simply not good enough for the Irn-Bru Second Division.
However, Brown is not a supporter of the play-offs despite the fact that, without them, his team would already be consigned to the bottom tier. "I've never been involved with them before but I don't like play-offs," he admitted. "I think if you finish second in the league you should be promoted and if you finish second-bottom you should be relegated. You play all season working towards that. That's the way it should work. And if we had been relegated then so be it. We deserved to be where we were. But play-offs seem to be the big thing and it seems I'm one of few who don't like them."
Brown may well get his wish, given the remarkable form that Peterhead are enjoying. The runners-up in the third division have won their last 10 matches, including a stunning victory at Ibrox, and travel to Fife in buoyant mood. Yet for all that Jim McInally's side enjoyed that win over Rangers, Rory McAllister is adamant success this evening would mean more. The 26-year-old scored to secure a historic 2-1 win but insists a 24th goal of the term tonight would eclipse that.
"It is one of the best things the club has ever achieved and, for myself, it was an amazing feeling to score," said McAllister, who has scored 12 times in his last nine games. "It was well-deserved too; we battered them.
"I think matches like that have been good for all the boys at this level because there are a lot of people who probably didn't rate this league. But throughout this season there have been boys who have shown that they are good enough to compete against full internationals. Hopefully it will lead to a bit more respect towards the guys at this level.
"However the match with East Fife is more important. We had nothing to lose going to play Rangers; no-one expected anything from us. Tonight the onus is on to win and take a step towards promotion. That is bigger. If we keep playing the way we are then there is no reason why we will not go up. East Fife have been losing all season and we are in great form. If we can go ahead I'm confident we can finish them off."
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