Peterhead suffered double disappointment after missing out on automatic promotion to Montrose on the final day of the season and then being beaten by bogey side Stenhousemuir in the play-off final.
Manager Jim McInally was given the opportunity to take the club back up after being relegated from League One following a 7-2 aggregate thrashing from Forfar Athletic in the play-off final. He made several additions to the squad last summer with the arrivals of goalkeeper Greg Fleming, defenders David McCracken, Jason Brown and Mason Robertson and midfielder Willie Gibson.
His biggest coup however was keeping hold of striker Rory McAllister, who had another outstanding season. They lost four of their opening dozen league matches but McAllister reached double figures by Christmas and the Blue Toon ended the year with a real statement of intent after thrashing title rivals Montrose 6-2 at Links Park.
They lost ground to the Gable Endies at the start of the 2018 and spent the rest of the campaign chasing them. They overtook them to climb to the top of the table at the end of February but a 3-2 defeat at Links Park in March proved costly. They eventually finished in second place in the table, just a point behind their rivals.
They comfortably saw off Stirling Albion with a 4-0 aggregate win in the play-off semi-final but were unable to recover from a 2-0 defeat to bogey side Stenhousemuir in the first leg of their play-off final and were beaten 2-1 on aggregate.
Greg Fleming was an ever-present between the sticks whilst teenage striker Russell McLean enjoyed a fabulous season with 17 goals. McAllister was the Blue Toon’s standout performer again however with an incredible 32 goals and he was voted player of the season.
