Broken ankle for Caley loan kid MacKay as Elgin lose to Stenhousemuir
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A BROKEN ankle sustained by Elgin loan teenager Daniel MacKay summed up a bad Saturday for the Black and Whites.
The 18-year-old Caley Thistle winger was stretchered off in the first half of the 1-0 home league defeat against Stenhousemuir.
City are already nursing a long list of injuries but were still getting results, but the strain seemed to tell on their squad as Stenny took the points at Borough Briggs.
Centre back Andy Munro's deflected strike on 68 minutes earned the Warriors a win they deserved over the piece.
Price said: "I've deliberately tried not to make any excuses about the injuries, but they players have been fantastic over this last period," said City boss Gavin Price.
"It's been five games in 14 days with basically 12 or 13 players to carry us through and they have worked so hard, but they didn't play as well today. I think it may have taken its toll today."
Price said he was "gutted" for young MacKay who scored in City's 5-4 Challenge Cup win at Brechin in midweek and looked lively in the first half against Stenny.
The player went down in agony after a challenge in the centre of the park shortly before half time and was taken to hospital, though the reaction of the home staff suggested there hasd immediately been a bad injury.
Stenhousemuir looked confident in possession early on and had the first strike on goal when Alan Cook’s 35 yard effort forced Tom McHale to turn the bouncing ball aside for a corner.
The visitors should have taken the lead on 20 minutes when a weak Stephen Bronsky clearance fell to Mark McGuigan on the edge of the six-yard box but McHale was equal to his firm strike and parried it to safety.
Elgin’s first sniff of goal on 28 minutes saw high-scoring strike partners Shane Sutherland and Kane Hester link up for Hester to fire a tight angle effort wide of the near post.
City loan youngster Daniel MacKay was stretchered off with a suspected broken ankle, the Caley Thistle teenager clearly in some pain. Kyle Willis came on in his place.
The visitors were looking the more threatening side and went in front when centre back Andy Munro’s deflected shot found the net on 68 minutes.
Bronsky had a shot deflected just past while fellow City stopper Andy McDonald found the side netting with a good opening.
In the final minute Sutherland put a great ball across the goal from the right and Hester raced in to meet it but couldn't quite turn it goalwards, and the last chance was gone.
City will have Rabin Omar back for their trip to Queen's Park next week, with Brian Cameron being assessed in training this week to see if he can return from a knee injury.
Elgin: McHale, Wilson (McGowan 83), Spark, McDonald, Bronsky, Dingwall, Cooper (Sopel 70), MacEwan, Hester, Sutherland, MacKay (Willis 43).
Subs: Scott, Ballam, Hoban.
Stenhousemuir: Smith, A.Munro, Marsh, McLaughlin, Scullion (O’Neill 58), Dykes, Gibbons (Halleran 80), McKernon, Cook, McGuigan, Anderson (Watters 67).
Subs: M.Munro, Marley.
Referee: Craig Napier
Att: 738
