Goalkeeper Daniel Hoban insists Elgin City are determined to prove they should always be in League Two promotion contention.
Inconsistency held the Moray club back last term and a brief flirtation with the relegation play-off spot was held off before they finished ninth in the table.
This season has been one of steady improvement after a slow start and too many dropped points from winning positions.
However, they’ve won their last four matches, losing only once in the last 12 fixtures overall and they will aim to kick on with a win against Hoban’s previous club Forfar Athletic on Saturday.
FT! Elgin 1-0 Albion Rovers. Jake Dolzanski with the only goal of the game!
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) October 11, 2022
Hoban pulled off several big stops in Tuesday’s 1-0 home win against Albion Rovers and believes the result will give the group further belief as they sit now in fourth spot.
He said: “The boys can go into the Forfar game with a bundle of confidence. Tuesday showed the boys are confident. We just have to keep doing what we’re doing.
“The confidence will only grow with every win.
“This season, we are bouncing back from the disappointment of last season.
“By no means are we done, but we’re moving in the right direction and that’s really positive.”
Narrow win keeps Elgin moving up
Hoban insists a big team effort was needed to keep their Coatbridge opponents at bay on Tuesday.
He said: “It was a scrappy game, but the most important thing was to find a way to win.
“All credit to the boys, especially the two in front of me. They put their bodies in front of everything and that’s all you can ask for.
“In the first half, I made two or three saves, but that’s what my job is. I’m happy to make those saves at those moments. In the second half, I really only had one save.
“Tuesday was a polar opposite to our 5-1 win (against Annan Athletic), but the main thing was just to win, especially if you want to climb this table and get into the promotion spots, which is where Elgin should be.”
Healthy competition is paying off
Hoban, 24, has played 11 matches so far and has been the top pick from mid-August. But he insists fellow shot-stopper Thomas McHale is helping him maintain his high levels.
He added: “I’m enjoying my time in the team and Tom is pushing me hard in training and that’s really important.
“I know it’s difficult when you’re not in the team, but we have two very good goalkeepers at the club. My performances are showing that I’m being pushed all the way by Tom.”
Yoga takes pressure off City players
Manager Gavin Price, meanwhile, explained an online yoga class took the place of a Thursday get-together, cutting out the need for non-north players to travel.
He said: “We know how good Forfar can be. We have to play better than we did on Tuesday and I’m sure we will.
“It’s going to be a completely different game again. Forfar present different challenges.
“It has been tough going to Stranraer on Saturday and we were missing a couple of players on Tuesday and we had to regroup.
“After the week we’ve had, we did a yoga session with the squad on Thursday. It’s done online, which is handy given our logistics.
“We need that rest after being at Stranraer, having games at Elgin on Tuesday and Saturday.”
Captain Brian Cameron returns to the fold this weekend after being unavailable, but Matthew Cooper has a knock which might keep him out.
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