PEEBLES Rovers boss Ger Ross admits three points against Heriot-Watt will be vital as they go into a tough run of fixtures in February.

High-flyers Leith Athletic, Lothian Thistle and Kelty Hearts await Rovers in a trilogy of formidable opponents in the league.

And whilst Rossi was delighted with the points, he’s fully aware of the challenges lying ahead in the weeks to come.

“I thought it was a fantastic result, we said to the boys afterwards that it was a great indicator of how far they’ve come,” he said to the Peeblesshire News.

“The pitch was undoubtedly tricky and didn’t make it conducive for football but the boys stuck to our plan and executed it well.

“We can’t get too carried away as we’ve got a difficult run of games coming up. Leith will provide a tough test and then we’ve got the big boys in Lothian and Kelty.”

The victory over Heriot-Watt will instil belief that Rovers can push into the top half of the table as the season edges closer to its conclusion.

Rossi was tight-lipped over how far the team can go, but he acknowledges the massive improvements his squad has made over the past year.

“We hope to be in the top-half by the end of the season, and we’ve made big strides compared to last year.

“It seemed we always just missed out by fine margins to sides like Heriot. Such a big win is again testament to the progress that the boys have made.

“That’s the most pleasing thing, and the result and performance is something that the boys will be able to enjoy.”

The game was not without controversy however, and Heriot’s late consolation appeared to come off the referee following a Scott Dargo corner.

Peebles defender Ray Fleming was also handed his marching orders for a fracas with Heriot forward Anton Dowds.

Rossi added: “Their goal was one of those freak moments. I felt we had worked hard to get a clean sheet and Heriot hadn’t posed many problems.

“The sending-off was disappointing, one of their boys kicked Ray and he retaliated. You can’t get away with that these days and I imagine Ray will be very disappointed as well.”