Elgin City boss Gavin Price insists the signing of Ross Draper has been central to the side’s drive up the League Two table.
The experienced former Caley Thistle and Ross County star signed for City at the start of September, after moving on from Championship club Cove Rangers.
The Scottish Cup winner with Inverness spent a successful loan spell with Elgin last season and he’s slotted into the heart of the defence, linking up with Jake Dolzanski, who came in from Jeanfield Swifts in the summer.
City had to stand firm against a capable Albion Rovers team on Tuesday, but a header from Dolzanski in the second-half earned Elgin their fourth straight win to move fourth in the table.
Elgin have lost only once in their last 12 games and since Draper came in they’ve won five and drawn once.
Draper and Dolzanski working well
Price is in no doubt Draper’s influence is telling as they prepare to take on bottom-placed Forfar on Saturday, with the chance of moving up if Stenhousemuir fail to beat second-placed Stirling.
He said: “I thought Ross and Jake were outstanding on Tuesday night as a pairing.
“They were there when we needed them, with the experience of Ross and Jake is flourishing alongside him. Including the goalkeeper (Daniel Hoban), it was the defensive line which won the game for us.
“Ross has been pivotal when it comes to the impact he’s made since coming in.
“It was frustrating we didn’t get him in sooner because we dropped points without his experience, in those games we led in and ended up drawing.
“He’s a great leader with a fantastic attitude to the game and at training which rubs off on people. I can’t sing his praises high enough.
“That’s why I was so determined to get him in. I know the quality he brings, including a calmness at times.
“The way he has partnered Jake has been great. Jake has come in at the start of the season and has grown all the time. He’s becoming a big player for us.
“Coming from the level he has, it will be great for him to have someone like Ross to play alongside. It will enhance his game and he’s getting better every week.”
Defenders making winning impacts
Striker Kane Hester has 15 goals already this season and has been ably assisted in that by Russell Dingwall with seven.
Price was thrilled to also see the back-line be central to the victory, with centre-half Dolzanski heading home the second-half winner.
He added: “Kane Hester and Russell Dingwall have been getting all the plaudits lately and rightfully so with the amount of goals they are scoring.
“But Tuesday was about defenders putting their bodies on the line and winning headers.
“I didn’t feel we conceded many real chances in the game and that was important.
“Albion Rovers have the second-best defensive record in the league for a reason. They are really organised and made it very difficult for us.
“In my time here, this is probably the strongest squad I’ve had here. We have so many players who can fill in and put pressure on one another.
“It’s good so far, but we’re only 10 games into a long season. There is a lot of work still to be done.”
Digging deep to find a way to win
The Borough Briggs boss explained that winning a match by rolling up the sleeves and edging it is every bit as important as those rare swashbuckling goal-fests also seen from City this season.
He said: “There are different ways to win football matches and we had to dig deep on Tuesday because Albion Rovers are a good side. I knew that before the game.
MAN OF THE MATCH
Our @gordon_macphail Red Door MOTM on Saturday was Lewis Nicolson who gave out a fantastic performance from our back line!
Well done Lewis! 👏🏻 👏🏻 👏🏻 pic.twitter.com/7UH9XCfA9R
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) October 12, 2022
“People will look at these teams at the bottom of the league, but I have said this league is so tight. There is so little between any of the teams in the league. Anyone can win home or away on their day.
“You have to be up for the fight and Albion Rovers were up for it on Tuesday. They will probably feel aggrieved by not taking anything from the game.
“Over 36 games throughout the season, you will get games like this that one. You dig deep and you find a way to win.
“It wasn’t our best performance by any manner of means, but we found a way to win and that’s important. You’re not going to get an Annan (5-1 win) or Peterhead (4-0 win) game every week.”
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