Elgin City striker Kane Hester feels rekindling his short-lived partnership with Shane Sutherland could hold the key to success for the Black and Whites this season.
Hester joined City from Arbroath in January but started just one game alongside Sutherland before the latter’s move to Peterhead.
It proved a successful outing for Hester, who netted twice in a 3-3 draw against Edinburgh City, but he netted just once more in the remainder of the campaign.
This summer, Sutherland opted to return Elgin after just six months at Balmoor and both he and Hester were on the scoresheet in City’s 3-0 Betfred Cup win over Stirling Albion last month.
Hester is encouraged by the early signs ahead of today’s League 2 opener at home to Cowdenbeath.
He said: “Shane coming back can only benefit me because I will get goals from him and I will get him goals given the way we work together.
“We showed in the Betfred Cup games it’s a good partnership, and hopefully it continutes to work.
“Back in January before Shane went to Peterhead we had one game together and we played really well and I got a couple of goals.
“It feels good to have that security of knowing I’ve got him next to me. He can do all the tough work and I will do all the running for him.
“I just think it works well between us.”
Elgin drew plaudits for their performance in their Betfred Cup group, taking five points from a section which included Premiership outfit Hibernian and Championship sides Arbroath and Alloa Athletic.
Hester says the convincing victory over the Binos gives him most encouragement.
He added: “We showed we could compete against the top teams and I felt we more than held our own.
“It leads us well into getting the season started.
“I think the Stirling game was a big marker set down.
“I think it really showed to the team we have set it already and it needs to continue against Cowdenbeath.
“It has to be a win at home in the first game.
“I think Cowdenbeath are a team that have improved, but I can’t really say anything about them because I haven’t seen much of them.
“We will just have to turn up and claw out the game.”
Elgin manager Gavin Price made six new additions over the summer and Hester feels the squad is taking shape.
He added: “The team is looking really settled.
“The changes the manager has made have done really well and we are playing as we should be.
“It’s working for us and hopefully we can show that this weekend.”
Manager’s view
Elgin City manager Gavin Price believes his side is better-placed than 12 months ago as the Black and Whites look to hit the ground running in League 2 against Cowdenbeath today.
City earned plaudits by taking five points from a difficult Betfred Cup section which included Premiership outfit Hibernian and Championship sides Arbroath and Alloa Athletic.
Price credited last year’s competition with helping his side make a strong start to their league campaign when they opened with three wins from their first five games. The City boss, who has made six new additions this summer, hopes for the same this time around as the Moray side aim to improve on last term’s eighth-placed finish.
Price said: “We got off to a good start in the league last year. It’s tempting fate, but I think we are in a better position now.
“We have a more settled team and squad, and it’s just now a case of transferring that into results in the league.
“There is absolutely no reason why we can’t do it. We have just got to approach the games like we have been and not take our foot off the pedal.
“We’re hoping to get off to a good start. Cowdenbeath have had a reasonable start as well, beating East Fife, so it’s a hard fixture.
“We’ve got to make our home form important this year.”
Elgin remain without skipper Darryl McHardy with a dislocated shoulder, while influential midfielder Brian Cameron has a knee injury but Price is encouraged by the way his side has coped in their absence.
