Elgin City 0 Spartans 4: Allan Hale's first home game in charge ends in big defeat
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
ELGIN City were thrashed 4-0 for the second game in succession as Spartans ran out convincing winners at Borough Briggs.
City endured a horror start in what was manager Allan Hale's second match in charge and first at home, trailing 2-0 after only six minutes had been played.
Blair Henderson grabbed a hat-trick for the visitors, with Cammy Russell getting the other goal as the capital-city side cruised to victory.
Spartans went ahead after three minutes when Rhys Armstrong's shot was parried into the path of Blair Henderson by Tom McHale – leaving the striker with a simple task from five yards.
It was 2-0 just minutes later when Cammy Russell took a nice touch to escape his marker in the box before slotting in via the left-hand post from 10 yards.
Elgin grew into the game after that and had a couple of half chances. Russell Dingwall's free-kick from the edge of the box was blocked on 22 minutes before Ross Draper's follow-up hit the side-netting.
Dingwall was involved again before the half-hour mark as his one-two with Ben Barron sent the striker in behind. Barron eventually teed Dingwall up to fire a shot a couple of yards over.
The game seemed to be heading into the break at 2-0 but Ayrton Sonkur's 25-yard strike was flicked on target by Henderson for his second of the afternoon on 44 minutes.
That sparked another mad spell for the City defence as Kieran Watson narrowly missed the target for Spartans as they searched for number four, before McHale denied Jamie Dishington at the near post.
Elgin, with the wind in their back, started the second half on the front foot. Ben Barron should have pulled a goal back when he was free in the box, but he dragged an effort a yard wide under little pressure.
The visitors moved further out of sight on 68 minutes when they were awarded a penalty for shirt pulling by Connall Ewan on Blair Henderson. Henderson stepped up himself and calmly rolled home his hat-trick from the spot.
Ben Barron's back post header was easily gathered by Spartans sub goalkeeper before Cammy Russell's shot from just inside the box was parried round the post by McHale.
Elgin substitute Liam Harvey's free-kick was pushed around the post by sub keeper Jacques Heraghty on 85 minutes as Elgin pushed for a consolation.
Spartans could have had a fifth in added time when Sean Brown went round McHale but Connall Ewan cleared off the line and McHale recovered to stop the follow-up.
Elgin almost grabbed a late goal as Liam Harvey fired wide from 18 yards and Ewan's header was kept out by a good Heraghty save.
