Elgin City player/boss Ross Draper is urging is men to rise to the challenge of taking on Championship Queen’s Park in a bid to nail down their place in the team to face Stranraer in their League Two opener on August 5.
Despite a decent performance in Saturday’s 2-0 home defeat against Queen of the South, the Moray team are bottom of Group G in the Viaplay Cup ahead of their final fixture on Tuesday – against Championship Queen’s at Lesser Hampden.
Draper, who took over the Elgin hotseat this summer, has been gradually shaping his squad for the League Two battle which lies ahead, with the Black and Whites keen to become promotion contenders.
Last term, they only finished above the relegation play-off position by one point.
Elgin aim to break Viaplay Cup losing cycle
Losses against Premiership Motherwell, League Two foes East Fife and then Queen of the South have left Elgin without anything to show for their efforts in their League Cup section.
However, Draper insists they can use their trip to Glasgow to show they are ready for the cut and thrust of tackling Stranraer when the league season kicks off.Next up for The Spiders is @ElginCityFC at Lesser Hampden tomorrow night.
Tickets are on sale and can be purchased 👇https://t.co/sJmdU5I66B pic.twitter.com/PMCSc2NYUq
— Queen's Park FC (@queensparkfc) July 24, 2023
He said: “We want to get out of the habit of losing games, but our tough was always going to be a tough one.
“Motherwell, under Stuart Kettlewell, Queen of the South, under Marvin Bartley – who I think will do well this year – and East Fife, who are well backed in our league. And Queen’s Park, from the Championship, will be another tough test.
“With the squad numbers we’ve got, it has been tough for us in terms of results, but the performances have been okay in spells.
“We still have areas to work on and develop, but the cup has been a good challenge for the boys to get game time and 90 minutes under their belts.
“Everyone is pushing to start against Stranraer a week on Saturday. That’s the aim for the players – to try and make sure they’re in the team for Stranraer.
“If we beat Stranraer, then they can be in the team for the games which follow, so the players will all want to keep hold of their shirts.”
Cooney offers fresh boost to Draper
Queen’s Park were edged out 1-0 by Motherwell, having drawn with East Fife before losing a penalty shoot-out in their League Cup opener.
As a result, the Spiders only have one point on board, sitting just above Elgin – who have yet to get off the mark – in the standings.
Draper, who lifted the Scottish Cup with Inverness in 2015, hopes his side can rise to this final challenge in the Viaplay Cup this year, despite already being out of the competition.
He said: “Having watched Queen’s Park play, as well as videos of their games, they pass the ball well and that’s something we will be looking to improve upon. Hopefully, it’s a good game in terms of that aspect.
“You tend to find a lot of styles you come up against in the cup are football-based, with teams playing some good football – and that sort of goes out the window a bit when the (league) season starts.
✍️ signing news!
We’re delighted to announce the signing of Nathan Cooney until summer 2025……welcome back to Borough Briggs Nathan ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/fTacbkpkRL
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) July 20, 2023
“We know Queen’s Park are good to watch and we expect a tough task, and they will be similar to the way Queen of the South play. We aim to find a solution to go on and win the game. It’s one we’re looking forward to.
“Squad-wise, we should be similar to Saturday, when it was good to get Nathan Cooney in on time for the Queen of the South game. He’s another good player to get through the door.”
Former Dundee United and Brechin City defender Cooney signed a two-year contract at the end last week.
Loan trio making impacts for City
Three young top-flight loanees, Aberdeen’s Blair McKenzie and Liam Harvey and Ross County’s Ryan McLeman are all finding their feet within the Elgin side.
And Draper doesn’t think it will be long before they are in full-flight for City.
He said: “They have all been good. I would expect them to get better by every game in terms of settling into the group, and getting used to the way we want to play. The boys will get used to the way they play as well.
“It has all been positive in terms of the loans. I’m pleased with them and it’s just a case of seeing how we involve them, and what positions will get the best out of them.”
The manager, meanwhile, has earmarked the SPFL Trust Trophy tie against St Johnstone next Tuesday as the game for defenders Matthew Cooper and Jake Dolzanski to make their returns from injuries.
He added: “That’s one which we have pencilled in for them to try and get game time, but we have to be careful with them.”
