Elgin City end five-match losing run and rise out of bottom three in League Two with victory over Stirling Albion
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ELGIN City ended their losing run with a much-improved show to earn a 3-1 win over Stirling Albion.
The priceless win took City out of the bottom three in League 2 but they didn’t find things easy against ten-man Stirling.
Cruising at 2-0 up at the break against a Binos side who had a player sent off after half an hour, the Black and Whites toiled until Kane Hester made up for a series of misses to bury the decisive third goal.
There was an Elgin debut for Cove Rangers loan defender Jevan Anderson, son of former Dons legend Russell.
Tyler Mykyta, who arrived on loan from Aberdeen on the eve of the match, was on the home bench along with skipper Euan Spark.
There was a purpose about City’s early play and it was no surprise when they grabbed the lead on nine minutes.
Russell Dingwall’s corner on the left came back out to him and he did superbly to dig out a low cross under pressure, meeting the run of Darryl McHardy who fired high into the net.
Five minutes later Kane Hester fizzed a volley just over from an Evan Towler free kick on the right
Elgin were well on top at this stage and should have doubled their lead on 20 minutes.
Rabin Omar’s reverse pass put Kane Hester in the clear but his effort was saved by keeper Blair Currie’s outstretched foot.
The second home goal did arrive on 26 minutes and it was Omar who took a fine touch on the edge of the box to go through and fire wide of Currie, netting against his former club.
It got even worse for the Binos on the half hour when their centre back Darren McGregor cynically took out Hester on the edge of the box and ref Stewart Luke produced a straight red card, much to the visitors’ dismay.
The ten men did produce a warning shot when full back Mason Hancock worked a one-two and forced Daniel Hoban to make a smart save from his angled effort.
Stirling made two first half subs, the second when Ray Grant was stretchered off with a bad injury.
Hester had his third chance of the half when Omar again set him up in the clear but the striker pulled his shot wide on 40 minutes.
Stirling began the second half in determined fashion and reduced the deficit on 54 minutes from a poorly defended Jack Leitch corner which was bundled home by Dylan Mackin.
Elgin looked very nervy at this stage and were fortunate to survive a couple of close escapes as Stirling rocked them back on their heels.
Omar missed a close range header and Matthew Cooper shot over from 25 yards as the home side tried to get a foothold back in the contest.
Hester was through again on 80 minutes but again Currie saved with his legs, and seemingly it wasn’t going to be the striker’s day.
But a minute later Hester did get on the scoresheet to finally end Stirling’s resistance, netting a solo effort for his 14th of the season.
Brian Cameron then hit the Stirling woodwork twice in the space of a minute with the pressure finally off.
Elgin: Hoban, Cooper, Towler, McHardy (Trialist 90), Anderson, Mailer, R Dingwall, Cameron, Hester (Mykyta 90), Omar (MacEwan 79), Machado (Sopel 63).
Subs: O’Keefe, Spark, Cormack, McHale.
Stirling: Currie, Moore, Hancock, Banner, McGregor, Grant (Laird 37), Mackin (Flanagan 73), Paterson (McGeachie 33), Roberts, Carrick (Francis 73), Leitch.
Subs: McNiff, Creaney, Law.
Referee: Stewart Luke.
Att: 561
