Elgin City 0 Motherwell 2: Black and Whites restrict Premiership opponents but goals by Lennon Miller and Jon Obika win the day for 'Well
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A hard-working young Elgin side gave Motherwell a stern test in their Viaplay Cup opener.
Elgin boss Ross Draper handed a debut to all three of his summer loan signings with Aberdeen teenager Blair McKenzie starting alongside him in centre defence, Ryan MacLeman from Ross County featuring in midfield and Aberdeen striker Liam Harvey leading the front line.
Motherwell’s side included 16-year-old Luca Ross making his debut on the right side.
The Premiership side quickly got into their stride and when Draper was caught in possession, Well played through to Jon Obika whose angled effort was blocked by Tom McHale’s foot.
Elgin keeper McHale then did well to block a point blank header from Jon Obika after Blair Spittal worked down the left and crossed over on four minutes.
City’s first raid saw Russell Dingwall produce good feet to get past two men in the centre and slip a pass through for Matt Jamieson, who was crowded out in the penalty area.
Dingwall then dragged a shot wide from the edge of the box as Elgin started to find some confidence.
New boy Harvey was getting little change out of Motherwell stopper Bevis Mugabi for all his endeavours up front.
Well front man Obika again missed a chance on 19 minutes, heading over from a Spittal corner.
It took the visitors 24 minutes to open the scoring, young midfielder Lennon Miller - son of former Scotland international Lee - blasting home from 25 yards.
Callum Slattery fired wide and Miller forced a good McHale save while Obika sclaffed a good chance wide with Motherwell pushing hard for a second goal.
The visitors looked eager to make the game safe and thought they had on the hour when Obika forced in Slattery’s shot on the goal-line but was ruled offside.
Elgin had their best spell of the game and created two great chances to level the scores.
Dons loanee Harvey broke clear in the box but delayed his shot, allowing Liam Kelly to turn it round the post for a corner.
Then Dingwall’s kick from the right was met by a powerful Draper header which beat Kelly all ends up but was nodded away from under the crossbar by Spittal.
Miller threatened a second goal with a 67th minute drive that drifted just past the left hand post.
And from a Slattery free kick on 73 minutes, ‘Well centre back Bevis Mugabi’s rising header floated just wide of the right post.
Eventually the pressure led to a second Motherwell goal 15 minutes from time, Obika finally getting his goal with a scrambled effort from Spittal#’s corner on the left.
McHale saved a Shane Blaney free kick just before full time.
Elgin: McHale; MacEwan, Draper, McKenzie (Cormack 83), Cairns; Dingwall (Mitchell 83), Cameron (MacInnes 78), MacLeman; Lawrence, Harvey (Cruickshank 90), Jamieson.
Subs: Taylor, Hoban.
Motherwell: Kelly; O’Donnell, Mugabi, Blaney, Wilson (McGinley 73); Ross (McGinn 66), Miller, Slattery (Paton 73), Spittal (Maguire 78); Obika, Wilkinson (Ferry 78).
Subs: Lamie, Casey, Tierney, Oxborough
Ref: Iain Snedden
Att: 2026
