Aberdeen Football Club teenager Evan Towler is the best 17-year-old player Elgin City loan colleague Ross Draper has seen in his long career
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ROSS Draper says he hasn’t seen a better player at the age of 17 than Elgin City loan team-mate Evan Towler.
Aberdeen defender Towler was watched by Dons boss Stephen Glass and assistant Scott Brown as he starred in City’s 1-1 draw with Albion Rovers on Saturday.
His performance impressed Cove Rangers loanee and former Scottish Cup winner Draper, whose vast experience has seen him play more than 400 matches north and south of the border.
“Evan’s only 17 and I compare it to when I was his age and he is absolutely miles ahead of anyone that I’ve seen at that age,” Draper said.
“It’s the technical ability that he brings, and he can play as a left-sided centre half as well. It’s good for him to play games here.
“Maybe the rough and tough of League 2 will have him in good stead when he goes back to Aberdeen. He certainly has a big future ahead of him.”
Towler was watched in the Albion match by Aberdeen manager Stephen Glass and assistant Scott Brown, who were guests of Elgin City on the day.
Draper won the man of the match for an outstanding display at the heart of City’s defence, leading by example to spur City on to their fifth match without defeat.
It should have been more than a point for the Black and Whites, who played against ten men for almost half the match and missed a second half penalty.
Kane Hester netted from the spot on 25 minutes after he was fouled by Rovers’ Sean Fagan, but saw a second penalty saved by visiting keeper Cammy Binnie who also saved his follow-up shot and a string of other efforts by a dominant home side.
Rovers’ trialist centre back Peter Watson was red carded on 47 minutes for his second caution of the game.
City pushed hard for a winner but their opponents put up a solid defensive show and held on for a draw, which keeps both sides tied on 22 points above bottom side Cowdenbeath.
“With the sending off in the second half we thought we could kick on and get the three points,” said Draper.
“It just wasn’t to be. We had a lot of chances and things just didn’t fall for us in the box. It just wasn’t our day but we will take a point and move on and see where we are next week.
“As a group we have proved that we don’t want to be down at the bottom of the league and we have shown that we can put a run of results together so hopefully we can do that over the next couple of months and push ourselves up and closer to the play-offs.
“That’s the aim, and the drive that everyone has to put together and see if we can do that between now and the end of the season.”
