Elgin City 1 Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic 0: Michael Dangana’s first SPFL goal clinched crucial three points for Black and Whites
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Elgin City’s strong home form gleaned another three vital points in their battle to stay away from the bottom of League 2.
A superb Michael Dangana strike on the hour earned a deserved 1-0 victory over a Bonnyrigg Rose Athletic side also in the mix to avoid the relegation play-offs.
There was a first start for Bradford City loan teenager Freddy Jeffreys in place of fellow loanee Keith Bray, and Connall Ewan came into City’s defence in place of the suspended Jake Dolzanski.
The first half was very much a stalemate with the two teams cancelling each other out on fiery pitch.
Bonnyrigg started well, pinning City back in the first ten minutes but the closest to a goal came when Callum Connolly broke to the edge of the box and hit a bobbling strike which Tom McHale saved.
City grew into the contest and Michael Dangana produced a good break down the left and a driven cross which Athletic headed clear in the goalmouth.
Elgin’s forays were regularly breaking down in the final third and defences looked firmly on top.
The visitors threatened midway through the half, with Aaron Dunsmore bustling in on the right side of the City box for a near post drive which McHale turned away.
From the resulting corner kick by Lee Currie, home defender Connall Ewan almost headed into his own net forcing McHale to tip over for another corner.
City’s best opening of the first half came from a diagonal Russell Dingwall ball from the right which picked out the run of Dajon Golding but the striker couldn’t get a clean contact on the edge of the six yard box and scuffed wide.
The match came to life in the second half, with Golding forcing keeper Paddy Martin to save at his feet within a minute of the restart.
Two minutes later Golding produced a determined run down the left and his cross fell at the back post for Dingwall who guided it wide with the goal at his mercy.
Elgin were now on top and they reaped the rewards with the opening goal on the hour mark.
Dingwall charged forward in the centre and played the ball out right to Golding, whose drive was parried up in the air by Martin and dropped on the volley for Dangana and he lobbed a perfect effort into the top right hand corner.
Six minutes later it was almost 2-0 when Golding surged through again and his effort was palmed out to Dingwall, whose overhead effort hot the inside of the right hand post and was hacked off the line.
Elgin kept pressing and Ross Draper saw a header go straight at Martin from close range.
Bonnyrigg weren’t out of it with Scott Mercer’s 25 yard free kick going inches wide on 73 minutes.
Five minutes later another Mercer free kick led to Kieran McGachie sweeping the ball into the net from close range but after consulting his assistant, referee Colin Whyte ruled that the striker used a hand to control the ball.
Sub Robert Jones sent a left foot shot on the turn inches past on 81 minutes, and the striker then headed at Martin from a Dingwall cross.
With Rose pushing for an equaliser, there was time for one last Elgin breakaway and the subs combined for Jones to put Matty Jamieson clean through, only to scrape the outside of the post with his low effort.
After five tense minutes of stoppages, the final whistle signalled a win which took City up to seventh in the table and eight points above the bottom.
Elgin: McHale, Cairns, Booth, Draper, Ewan, Gallagher, Dingwall (MacLeman 90), Cameron, Jeffreys (Jones 67), Golding (Bray 86), Dangana (Jamieson 90).
Subs: Cooper, Kelly.
Bonnyrigg: Martin, Mailer, Peggie, Gormley, Mercer, Connolly (Doan 77), Stewart, Currie (Osadolor 72), Dunsmore (Gray 72), McGachie, Barrett (Watson 77).
Subs; Jarvis, Byrne, Gray, McGale, Doan, Watson, Osadolor.
Referee: C Whyte
