Elgin City defender Matthew Cooper won't stop believing in team's promotion dream
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MATTHEW Cooper says self-belief will be key to Elgin City’s quest for promotion from League 2 this year.
Hopes of Elgin’s 20th league season being their best yet were raised by the team’s cup exploits and attacking brand of football in the early months of the campaign.
But one win in eight league games has eased the Black and Whites out of the play-offs zone and left them playing catch-up.
Cooper, closing in on his 200th appearance for City, knows what is needed to reignite their challenge.
“It does help having the nous to see out games and snuff out chances and if you are in a horrible game it’s about being in it and sneaking a goal right at the end,” he said. “Teams have done that to us and we need to be able to do it as well, to gain a winning mentality.
“It’s really frustrating that we haven’t picked up anything from the Edinburgh game and the amount of times we’ve come off the park feeling like that this season is too many.
“In-house we’ve maybe got to take it on the chin and admit we are conceding too easily. We shouldn’t have to score two or three goals to win a game so it is something we are working on.
“It’s all about trust in the way we are trying to play because we know we are at our best when we are trying to break through teams. It’s just trust in the process.
“The gaffer and Gibby (assistant Keith Gibson) believe in us and maybe we need to have more belief in ourselves at times, that we can go and get something out of the game.”
Cooper wants to keep the Elgin supporters onside over the coming months. “There’s no doom and gloom in the dressing room and I hope it’s the same for the fans, that they can see we’re not a terrible side and there is plenty of potential.
“We were getting results in the cups, going on good runs and the feel-good factor was there. There was a real buzz in the changing room so we need to replicate that.
“After Christmas you end up running out of games. We need to start doing what Edinburgh have done, winning five in a row or whatever, going on a wee run.
“Now is the time to do it.”
