Elgin City return to top spot in William Hill League 2 as Dylan Gavin hat-trick earns Borough Briggs win over Clyde
A Dylan Gavin hat-trick fired Elgin City back to the top of League 2 with a 4-2 victory over Clyde on Tuesday night.
City’s victory, paired with Peterhead’s 1-1 draw at Forfar saw the Black and Whites bounce back from back-to-back losses and return to the summit.
Owen Cairns regained his place at right back and Jack Murray was back from suspension, with trialist Calum Haspell dropping to the bench. Mark Gallagher, who came off injured at half time on Saturday, was named as a sub while Dylan Gavin was preferred in the front line ahead of Ryan Sargent.
Also on the City sub bench was goalkeeper Tom McHale, who hasn’t played since the end of August due to an ankle injury.
City survived an early scare when Liam Scullion’s first minute cross picked out Robbie Leitch at the back post and his volley slammed into the side net.
Russell Dingwall curled wide from the home side’s first chance, but their second opportunity produced the opening goal on 11 minutes.
A slick breakaway saw Gavin push forward and feed Dajon Golding, who slipped a pass left to his strike partner and Gavin clinically drilled a low effort just inside the right hand post.
Scullion passed up a headed chance for the visitors, before Elgin went into overdrive with a quickfire goal double after the half hour.
Golding spun 25 yards from goal and weaved across the penalty area before surprising keeper Robbie Hemfrey with an angled shot which squeezed in at the post for a fine individual strike on 33 minutes.
Four minutes later a flowing home move led to Lewis Hyde slotting in Gavin for his second of the game from 12 yards - a fifth of the campaign for the Irishman.
Three up at the break, Elgin looked very comfortable - but there was a shock to come to the system for the home side.
An unmarked Martin Rennie rose at the near post to head home a Scullion corner and it was 3-1 on 52 minutes.
Ten minutes later a fine Elgin move saw Hyde put Golding clear in the box, only for Hemfrey to block with his body.
Clyde went straight up the park and when City failed to clear their lines, Leitch punished them with a brilliant finish into the top right hand corner to reduce the deficit to one.
Suddenly from a position of complete control, the Black and Whites looked nervy and Clyde sensed they could rescue something from a seemingly lost cause.
Jordan Allan had a shot deflected wide for a corner, then blasted over when Scullion’s kick fell his way.
Elgin badly needed a fourth goal and when Golding was fouled on the edge of the box on 84 minutes, a hero needed to step forward.
It had to be Gavin to do the necessary, slamming a powerful effort off the inside of the left hand post and in for a glorious hat-trick to seal a priceless win.
Elgin: Glavin, Cairns, Girvan, Murray, Booth (Fraser 90), Hyde, Cameron, Golding (McDonald 83), Dingwall, Leslie (Sargent 79), Gavin (MacDonald 90).
Subs: Trialist, Gallagher, Taylor, McHale.
Clyde: Hemfrey, Hamilton (Cuddihy 18), Dunachie, McKay, Robson, Scullion, Docherty (Redfern 79), Murdoch, Leitch, Rennie, Allan.
Subs: Kennedy.
Referee: Daniel Graves
Att: 603