Margins tighter than ever in 'competitive' League Two, says Elgin City boss Gavin Price
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ELGIN City manager Gavin Price believes there is no outstanding team in League Two this season, and no team that will be cut off at the bottom of the table.
In recent years, well-backed clubs like Cove Rangers and Kelty Hearts have romped to title successes, while Brechin City and Cowdenbeath were both sent into non-league football after getting cut adrift at the bottom.
But this season there is a real anyone-can-beat-anyone unpredictability that means the battle for promotion, as well as the battle to remain in the SPFL, will be hotter than ever before, Price said.
“Every game in this league is nip and tuck,” he said.
“We have played everybody apart from Albion Rovers and you can potentially win and lose every game – the margins are that tight.
“I don’t think there is an outstanding team and nobody is miles below everybody else.
“There’s no room throughout the league for any complacency.
“Dumbarton are on fire at the moment (with six wins out of six) but there is no big-budget team that has blown everyone away, like in recent years with Cove Rangers and Kelty Hearts.
“It goes both ways for us in the league. We’ve got to watch out, but there’s an opportunity, if we can get that consistency, to be at the top end.
“It’s going to be a really, really competitive league.”
City’s start to the season has been a mixed bag – but having picked up their first victory with a 2-0 win over Bonnyrigg Rose, Saturday’s match at home to Albion Rovers was postponed as a mark of respect to Queen Elizabeth II.
“It is what it is,” Price added. “We just have to get on with it now. There’s nothing we can do about it.
“We had a training session on Saturday and it was an opportunity to get the whole group together.”
City travel to play-off chasing Stenhousemuir tomorrow – a side that they defeated 3-1 in the Challenge Cup at Borough Briggs at the end of August.
Stenny’s form has improved since that match, though, with the Warriors having won their last two matches to move up to fourth in League Two.
“We played well when we beat them 3-1 in the cup, but they have picked up in the last few games,” Price added.
“Away from home it will be a tough game. They have a good squad, so we will have to be at our best.
“It’s still early in the season but we have been ahead in five out of six league games and expected to have a lot more points.”
Price said that his squad has a clean bill of health going into the match.
n The game against Stenhousemuir will be Gavin Price’s 200th as manager of Elgin City.
Price took over from Jim Weir in October of 2017, having been number two for three years.
He will become City’s longest-serving manager in the Scottish League era after 206 matches in charge.
