Elgin City 0 Annan Athletic 2: Elgin slip closer to foot of League 2 with fourth straight loss as manager Gavin Price says his team can't carry 'passengers'
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GAVIN Price says his Elgin City team must turn their fortunes around after slipping to second bottom of League.
Tonight’s 2-0 loss to Annan Athletic was the Black and Whites fourth consecutive loss, following on from a six-match unbeaten run.
Price said City can’t afford to carry passengers in the midst of their stick patch of form.
The Borough Briggs side now travel to bottom side Cowdenbeath on Saturday in desperate need of the three points and Price is calling for his players to step up to the plate.
“Our form has turned the opposite way around now and we have to turn it round again,” he said.
“We’ve got a big game now on Saturday and a lot of things have to change quickly.
“There’s still players in there who can do it, we know that from history. But there’s too many passengers at the moment.”
Two vital defensive lapses cost Elgin dear in the first half of the contest.
They were cut open by a slick 7th minute move leading to Lewis Hunter guiding in the opener.
A string of missed opportunities by Elgin proved costly when they went to sleep at a free kick and allowed Aidan Smith all the time in the world to add a second five minutes before half time.
Price took the rap for the first goal with his starting selection but was heavily critical of the defending for the second.
“We defended terribly. The second goal was embarrassing.
“I’ll take the blame for the first one for maybe setting the team up wrong at the start. As a back four we looked more comfortable.
“The second goal was a straight free kick and from a defensive point of view we’ve got to be better than that.”
A City team missing keeper Tom McHale due to work commitments carved out some good openings but failed to make the most of them.
Annan keeper Greg Fleming saved well from Rabin Omar, Angus Mailer and Kane Hester, the latter after the striker went clean through on goal and tried to flick the ball over the diving keeper.
Omar, Mailer and Tony Dingwall failed to hit the target with other openings while Annan made the most of the two clear chances they were gifted in the first half.
For all Elgin’s territorial gains after the interval, they failed to test keeper Fleming and the match frittered out in disappointing fashion.
“We’ve got to change it in the same way we did when we went on our unbeaten run,” Price added.
“We can only dust ourselves down and get on with it.”
The City boss was only too aware of the fans' concerns as their team slipped below Albion Rovers into ninth place with the defeat.
“It’s not a nice feeling going back down the road just now, and that’s the second time in 72 hours that I’ve felt it.
“Believe me it hurts me as much as anyone watching that today.
“I’ll make sure I do everything to get them right for Saturday.”
Elgin: Hoban, Omar, Towler, McHardy, Draper, MacEwan (Hanratty 70) R Dingwall, T Dingwall (Cameron 63), Hester (Peters 81), Mailer, Allen (Sopel 46).
Subs:Trialist, El Zubaidi, Machado, Cooper, Dunn.
