Elgin City 1 Stenhousemuir 1: Black and Whites rescue point with late equaliser against ten-man Warriors
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Elgin remained bottom of League 2 despite rescuing a point with a late Rory MacEwan equaliser against ten-man Stenhousemuir.
There was a new signing in City’s ranks with big striker Robert Jones named among manager Bary Smith’s substitutes.
Jones had previously played for a string of SPFL sides including East Fife, Albion Rovers, Stranraer, Dumbarton and Clyde.
Player coach Ross Draper was playing in a central midfield role in front of a central back three, with skipper Mathew Cooper back in the right back position from suspension.
City showed little signs of rustiness from their long break from action in the early stages with some determined play to keep possession.
Midfielder Rory MacEwan fizzed two efforts off target from long range, while a tempting Euan Reilly ball across the Elgin goalmouth found no takers.
Aberdeen loan teenager Liam Harvey tested keeper Darren Jamieson, then MacEwan had his third strike on goal, again over the target on 16 minutes.
Another Harvey blast flew wide with Elgin looking perhaps the likelier side to score in the opening quarter - but all that changed on 29 minutes when Stenhousemuir scored.
Adam Brown’s speculative drive spun off City captain Cooper and found the net for a somewhat lucky opener.
Suddenly the visitors were a dominant force and Brown struck the base of the post 90 seconds later - so close to a second.
The pressure continued with Tom McHale dropping a cross, then making an uncomfortable parry before recovering well to block from Matty Aitken.
The danger wasn’t cleared and Nat Wedderburn smacked a drive off the other post, with City fortunate not to be further behind.
Stenny thought they had scored a second when Aitken rapped home an O’Reily drive on the edge of the six yarder, only to be ruled offside.
Elgin needed a break and they got one when Stenhousemuir had full back Ross Meechan sent off for bringing down Harvey midway inside his own half after the striker had spun him cleverly and looked to have a route towards goal.
The home side put on some early pressure in the second half yet the best chance for a goal came for the ten men as Brown pulled his drive wide on the break from a Michael Anderson through ball.
Brown then curled another effort wide on the counter, with Elgin struggling to break down a resolute Warriors’ rearguard.
A bi chance arrived on 72 minutes when Brian Cameron blocked an attempted clearance to send Harvey through on goal, only to fire against the left hand post.
With new signing Jones and fellow front man Ben Barron on from the bench, the Black and Whites threw everything at their opponents in pursuit of an equaliser.
It arrived with four minutes left as a raid down the right saw Owen Cairns’ cross fall kindly for MacEwan to lash home from the edge of the six yard box.
Elgin thought they should have had a penalty when Barron appeared to be fouled in the box but ref Nicolson wasn’t interested.
Sub Mitch Taylor had the final chance for City deep into stoppage but he fired inches over with an angled drive as the home side had to settle for a point.
#Elgin: McHale; Cooper (Jones 73), Dolzanski, Ewan, McKenzie (Barron 77); Draper (Taylor 62); Cairns, MacEwan, Cameron, MacLeman; Harvey.
Subs: Cooney, MacInnes, Cruickshank, King.
Stenhousemuir: D Jamieson; Meechan, Buchanan, N Jamieson, Bilham; O’Reilly (Berry 84), Wedderburn, Anderson, Brown (Jardine 90); Aitken, Yates (Lynch 46).
Subs: Sweenie-Rowe, Ferrie, McKay, Lyle.
Ref: Duncan Nicolson
Att: 393
