Elgin City dominate Spartans for long spells but slide to another League 2 defeat at Borough Briggs
A vastly improved Elgin City performance couldn’t stop their run of defeats as Spartans grabbed a 2-0 win at Borough Briggs on Tuesday night.
City played some entertaining football and created a succession of chances in the first half but were caught out by two setpiece goals from the more clinical visitors.
As expected, City boss Allan Hale didn’t risk injured striker Kane Hester even as a substitute while Kyle Girvan served a one-game suspension from his dismissal on Saturday and Lyall Booth was out with an ankle injury.
Brian Cameron was back from injury to skipper the side while striker Dylan Gavin, while some way short of fitness following a knee injury in the Scottish Cup against Aberdeen, was named among the home subs.
Elgin dominated from the word go and created a string of chances, struck the bar and had a goal disallowed before going behind from Spartans’ first attack.
The home football was impressive as Dajon Golding and Kian Leslie had efforts on goal blocked, and Mark Gallagher forced a good save out of Blair Carswell.
Annan loan signing Kyle Fleming came so close to a first goal for City but his header from a Jack MacIver corner hit the bar.
MacIver then crossed for Jack Murray to nod goalwards but Golding was ruled offside as he applied the final touch.
It was one-way traffic and Elgin were really threatening the Spartans box but when a goal arrived, it came at the other end.
Spartans won a free kick 35 yards out and Cammy Russell’s kick spun off the wall before Blair Henderson met the loose ball on the bounce and headed just inside the left hand post - a sickening blow for the dominant home team.
Leslie then went off injured to be replaced by Olly McDonald.
The second half failed to impress the fans in the same way as the first did, with Elgin not able to maintain their fluency.
Moved broke down in the final third for Elgin and Spartans became more confident, going on to add a second goal from a 73rd minute setpiece.
Two headers won at a corner kick led to Aryton Sonkur hooking home a left foot effort to end City’s challenge.
In the process, it consigned the Black and Whites to a sixth defeat on the bounce and poor reward for their efforts on the night.
