Second consecutive home defeat for Elgin City as Stirling Albion win at Borough Briggs
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MISSED chances cost Elgin City dear as they dominated against Stirling Albion but crashed to a 2-0 defeat.
Elgin manager Gavin Price made one change to the starting eleven who won at Stenny last week, bringing Tony Dingwall in for Dundee United loan defender Nathan Cooney.
There was the place on the bench for new Falkirk loan striker Jaime Wilson, while City were watched from the stand by Ross Draper, loaned out by Cove Rangers this week and awaiting a full return to fitness before he makes his City debut.
Angus Mailer flashed an early Elgin shot wide as the home side settled into a decent rhythm.
Stirling hit back with a free kick deep on the right taken by Nathan Flanagan and met at the back post by a Martin McNiff header which Tom McHale pounced on.
Another Flanagan centre on 14 minutes was helped on by Dylan Mackin, again to the back post where Dylan Bikey was given a free header but could only land it on the top of the net.
Mailer threatened again for the home side, latching on to a defensive miscue from Rory MacEwan’s through ball but unable to get enough contact to test Currie.
Elgin’s Conor O’Keefe was booked for a late lunge on Jordan McGregor midway through the half.
Jack Leitch fired a long range drive wide for Stirling and on 27 minutes the same player almost scored from Mackin’s cross but a point blank volley was superbly stopped instinctively by McHale.
On the half hour mark Tony Dingwall should have done better with a header from an O’Keefe cross, nodding too close to Currie.
A minute later Dingwall was just off target with a left foot effort from the edge of the box.
Mackin showed good footwork but shot wide for Stirling ten minutes before the break.
On 37 minutes a superb crossfield ball by Elgin’sBrian Cameron released O’Keefe through the middle and he flicked it past Currie and towards the net when Kurtis Roberts raced back to make a goal-line clearance.
The match looked to be heading into the break without any scoring when Stirling struck in the third minute of stoppage time.
A corner on the right was fired over by Flanagan and Martin McNiff stole ahead of his marker to plant a downward header beyond McHale from the edge of the six yard box.
Elgin boss Price responded to the goal at half time, bringing on Wilson for his debut in place of Mailer.
The striker almost made an immediate impact by dashing through to the edge of the area and whipping a low drive just past with 20 seconds on the clock.
Wilson then took a cross from captain Euan Spark but was blocked out in the area moments later, while Bikey had a drive deflected over for Stirling at the other end.
Spark was making strong runs down the Elgin right and his driven cross on 63 minutes was met by a Cameron effort which bounced just over the target.
Elgin were dominating and Tony Dingwall played a slick one-two to break into the box but his near post drive was saved well by Currie.
Darryl McHardy was pushed into attack but fired over from a Tony Dingwall cross as City pushed hard.
But just as they were in their last home game, Elgin were caught by a late sucker punch when Stirling sealed victory with four minutes to go.
Flanagan slipped a pass through to sub Dale Carrick whose effort was blocked by McHale but spun back over the unlucky keeper into the net.
McHale pulled off a fine save from ex-Elgin man Rabin Omar to deny Stirling a third goal right at the end as City began to lose belief.
Sub Matheus Machado did go close with a rising 25 yarder in stoppage time but the final whistle moments later completed another disappointing afternoon for the Black and Whites.
Elgin: McHale, Spark, Macphee, McHardy, Grivosti, Mailer (Wilson 46), R Dingwall, Cameron, O’Keefe (Machado 72), MacEwan (Allen 89), T Dingwall (Sopel 84).
Subs: Peters, Cooney, Lawrence, Little, Hoban.
Stirling: Currie, McGeachie, McNiff, Cummins, McGregor (Banner 46), Laird, Flanagan, Roberts, Mackin (Moore 80), Leitch (Carrick 68), Bikey (Omar 58).
Subs: Watson, Grant, Law.
Referee: Calum Scott
Att: 652
