Price has faith that City can beat Raith
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Gavin Price will use the Elgin City feelgood factor to plot a course for the semi-finals of the Challenge Cup.
City go into Friday night’s televised clash at Raith Rovers in good fettle as their league form is finally matching their cup exploits, prompting a rise up the table.
Manager Price saw his team’s five-game winning run ended by a late Edinburgh City equaliser last weekend, but was encouraged by Elgin’s display.
He will lead his club to Kirkcaldy tonight looking to make history by reaching the last four of a national cup competition for the first time – and believes his players can do it.
“Given the results we’ve had in this cup already –and I would add Alloa and Arbroath in the League Cup – we will go in with a belief that we’ve got a chance to progress,” he said.
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“The players have done really well against the bigger teams and individually it’s a chance for them to put themselves on that stage again.”
Price feels his current squad is the best he has worked with at the club, and says behind the scenes Elgin are making great strides.
“We had the televised game with Hibs earlier in the season and it’s pretty rare for an Elgin side to have two games live on TV in a season.
“It’s good for the image of the club and the sponsors, and helps raise the profile of Elgin City. The club has come a long way in the last year or so, aided by the good cup draws and cup runs we’ve had.
“It has allowed us to do things off the pitch to enhance the club, like installing a sprinkler system. Hats off to the directors and the people that have helped, the sponsors around the club.
“It’s good to see that from my side, I’ve been there five years and seen it with the infrastructure of the club improving all the time, and things like training with the north-based players.
“It’s a good time to be at Elgin and it’s all positive.”
A gauge of how much higher the standards are being set by City is the fact that last week’s draw in the capital was viewed by Price as two points dropped.
Kane Hester’s tenth goal of the campaign gave Elgin the lead on the stroke of half time and they stayed in front until the 84th minute when Allan Smith struck for Edinburgh.
“We dominated the game apart from the first 10, 15 minutes, in terms of chances and possession. Their keeper has had two or three great saves at 1-0, if we had got the second goal we would have put the game to bed but it didn’t happen.”
