WATCH: Elgin City's first away win in almost a year as manager Allan hale praises team's performance levels
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Almost a year to the date of their last away victory, Elgin City broke their duck with a 2-1 success at Spartans on Saturday.
Manager Allan Hale said his players carried out his game plan perfectly to end a 21-match run without a single win on the road.
Since winning at Dumbarton on February 25 last year, the Black and Whites lost 20 games and drew once in all competitions on their travels.
It was a run which Hale refused to discuss in the dressing room but was happy to speak about a vital success earned by Mitch Taylor's stoppage time winner.
Watch highlights below on Spartans FC youTube channel.
The result propelled City up to sixth in League 2 and looking forward to tomorrow's visit of runaway leaders Stenhousemuir with some optimism.
"It was good to get that monkey off the back," said Hale. "It wasn’t something that we spoke about internally but there was a big deal made about it out with the football club and it’s good to get that off the agenda in terms of what people were talking about.
"The performance levels of the players in executing the game plan to a tee was the most satisfying part."
Hale took charge at Borough Briggs in December and saw his inherited squad endure back-to-back 4-0 defeats to East Fife and Spartans in his opening two fixtures.
But since strengthening his squad in the January transfer window, the Elgin boss has led his team to victory against both opponents in the return fixtures.
"Our second game in charge was against Spartans and we were comfortably beaten 4-0 that day," he recalled.
"It shows the progress that the team have made and they put in a really controlled performance and got a deserved three points.
"We knew that Spartans are an excellent team and are arguably one of the best teams in the league and have been very consistent since they came up.
"For us it was all about getting the balance right. We knew that we were going to have to give up possession at certain times of the game and give up space in certain areas but we also knew that if the players executed the game plan there would be opportunities for us to score.
"There weren’t that many between the teams during the game but the chances we’ve had, we executed them and thankfully that got us the three points."
A brilliant strike by on-loan Cove Rangers midfielder Mark Gallagher - his first for the club - edged the visitors in front midway through the second half.
Spartans striker Blair Henderson, who scored a hat-trick when the teams last met in December, quickly headed the Edinburgh side level and the game appeared to be heading towards a draw.
But Elgin sub Taylor picked the perfect time to net his own maiden strike for the club in stoppage time, flicking a Brian Cameron drive past the home keeper to win the day.
"Above all the thing that pleased me was that we’ve just had a gruelling schedule of games in two weeks and the energy levels of the players was fantastic," Hale added.
"Their ability to press, to cover the ground and close off spaces and the discipline of the team was really impressive and that pleased me no end.
"It’s no coincidence that the result of all that was that the players got a positive result at the end of it."
Hale and assistant boss Stefan Laird have led the squad on a series of high intensity training sessions in an effort to increase the fitness of the players, and has noticed the benefits.
"It’s being able to play the game higher up the pitch which we are able to do, you have to give the players so much credit for their belief and their ability to keep fighting to the very end of the game to pick up positive results.
"That is East Fife, Clyde and Spartans now where we have picked up late goals so it shows there is plenty of fight within the group."
The next challenge for City comes with tomorrow's clash against a Stenhousemuir side currently 16 points clear at the top of the division, and seemingly on course to be crowned champions.
The Warriors won 12 consecutive league games either side of the turn of the year including a 2-0 success over Elgin in Hale's third game at the helm.
"They are so consistent with their team selection. That really helps in terms of having that cohesion on the pitch and they certainly have experience through the spine of the team.
"Now they have a 16-point gap at the top which is outstanding for League 2 football.
"For us it's another challenge but every game brings a different challenge but it’s one we will prepare for.
"We will look to continue our own good form. We are third in the league for form so we need to try and keep that going and keep amassing a good number of points."
Captain Matthew Cooper and midfielder Rory MacEwan remain on the injured list for the Black and Whites.
