Elgin City fans return to Borough Briggs to see Black and Whites lose to Premiership Ross County in their first pre-season friendly
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THE fans were back in Borough Briggs to see Elgin City lose 5-0 to top tier Ross County on Saturday.
For the first time since December, supporters were allowed inside to watch their club’s first pre-season friendly of the summer.
Missing Archie Macphee, Matthew Cooper and a trialist who were self-isolating following a recent Covid outbreak at the club, Elgin didn’t get off to the best of starts.
They were behind in just over two minutes when County’s summer signing from Hamilton, Ross Callachan played the ball over from the left and Jordan White was credited as getting the final touch in the centre.
Elgin had lively spells, with Kane Hester forced former City loan keeper Ross Laidlaw to save while Brian Cameron blazed over from a Tony Dingwall corner and Josh Peters struck a threatening 25 yarder which fizzed past.
County became complacent with their finishing as White headed over from point blank range and Connor Randall dragged an effort past with the goal at his mercy.
Oli Shaw also had a goal disallowed and Tom McHale kept out a Callachan header as the Premiership side had to settle for a single goal lead at the break.
Elgin swapped goalkeepers at half time and sub Daniel Hoban was picking the ball out of the net twice in the opening few minutes.
Firstly Callachan fired home after Alex Iacovitti struck the bar from close range on 48 minutes.
Three minutes later a fine cross from the left by Blair Spittal was met by a powerful White header which struck the underside of the bar on its way in.
Hoban made a good close range stop to deny Keith Watson on 55 minutes. And was quick off his line to dive at Shaw’s feet and prevent another goal before the hour.
Hoban was being kept busy, palming away Callachan’s ten-yarder then pushing an angled Shaw drive to safety.
A rare Elgin break saw Peters release sub Aidan Sopel who cut in but his shot lacked the power to beat Laidlaw.
City boss Gavin Price rang the changes and brought on a series of youngsters to gain the experience of football against a top level side.
Two County subs added to their side’s tally in the closing ten minutes.
New striker Dominic Samuel stooped to ground level to head home a cross from the right and make it 4-0.
Then Matty Wright waltzed through a couple of tackles to guide in the Dingwall side’s fifth of the game.
Elgin: McHale (Hoban 46), Mailer, McHardy, Little (Cormack 60), Spark; T.Dingwall (Lawrence 75), Cameron (Allen 75), O’Keefe (Sopel 60); Hester (MacEwan 60), Peters.
Subs: Trialist, Hay, Tinnock.
Ross Co: Laidlaw (Munro 72); Donaldson, Watson (Williamson 72), Iacovitti; Randall (MacLeman 62), Paton (MacKinnon 72), Tillson, Callachan, Spittal; Shaw (Wright 69), White (Samuel 62).
Ref: H Bruce
