Elgin City jump to third spot in the League 2 play-off push after a crucial win over promotion rivals Stirling Albion
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ELGIN City gave their promotion challenge a shot in the arm with a crucial 3-1 victory at home to Stirling Albion on Thursday night.
City jumped from fifth spot to third after following up their big win at Stranraer with another priceless three points just 48 hours later.
Gavin Price named an unchanged starting eleven from the 4-1 success at Stair Park on Tuesday.
Stirling made numerous changes from their Tuesday game, and were forced into two more in the early stages of the game.
Keiran Moore pulled his hamstring on seven minutes while danger man Andy Ryan, who forced a good Tom McHale save on 11 minutes, was stretchered off moments later with an ankle injury.
Elgin took advantage of their opponents’ misfortune by scoring twice in as many minutes to take the match by the scruff of the neck.
Firstly Aidan Sopel pounced with a sweetly struck half volley from the left of the box which went in off the far post to make it 1-0.
Almost immediately Kane Hester broke the offside trap and was denied by a Blair Currie save but the ball fell kindly for Russell Dingwall to fire home a deadly finish from the edge of the box.
Stirling responded well to their setback, with sub and former Elgin man Scott Roberts forcing a fine McHale stop with his legs at the near post.
Dylan Bikey and Chris Hamilton also brought the Elgin keeper into action but City held firm until the interval.
Darryl McHardy didn’t appear for the second half due to an ankle injury with Stephen Bronsky coming on as sub.
Sopel and Hester missed the target with early opportunities in the second half as Elgin made a lively start.
They were rewarded by a third goal on 64 minutes in a move started by Angus Mailer, who threaded in Hester and he unselfishly squared for Brian Cameron to tap in.
Moments later Dingwall nearly scored his second of the night with a fierce volley off the post and Sopel stroked the rebound just past.
Stirling refused to give in and on 81 minutes, sub Bikey found space to rifle home a low left foot finish and make it 3-1.
Smart Osadolor forced a late save out of Blair Currie as Elgin saw it out to victory, and now head to Edinburgh City on Saturday with great confidence.
Elgin: McHale, Wilson, Spark, McHardy (Bronsky 46), Cooper, Mailer, R Dingwall, Cameron (Osadolor 70), Hester, Brown (MacEwan 65), Sopel (O’Keefe 76).
Subs: Miller, Peters, T Dingwall, Macphee, Kelly.
Stirling: Currie, McGeachie, Allan, Banner, El Zubaidi, K Roberts, Ryan (Bikey 14), Hamilton, Mackin, Leitch (Byrne 69), Moore (S Roberts 7, Thomson 69).
Subs: Creaney, Greenhorn, Docherty.
Ref: Scott Lambie
