Elgin City v Edinburgh City

[afca32]

A first meeting between the two for a couple of years. We had a horrible record v Edinburgh in their last few seasons in this league and it feels strange going into a game with them as favourites. Edinburgh have started better than many expected this season, although are now only a single goal off the bottom. I can't say I know much about their squad, there are a few players with reasonable SPFL experience but many of them have come from their academy or non-league. I've heard Innes Lawson is a threat.

For Elgin, Dolzanski being suspended could be interesting. I'd expect Hale will move Girvan into the back 3 and play Cairns at right wing back but a back 4 or shifting Soapy back into the defence where he started v East Fife could be on the cards. What's becoming obvious is that Hale isn't afraid to mix things up when players aren't performing so predicting team selections isn't easy.

I expect a tough match here but if we're realistic about challenging for promotion we need to win fixtures like this. I'm going 2-0 Elgin.

[tamthebam]

up until being financially doped we didn't have a great record at Borough Briggs and a decent record in Edinburgh. 

I'd like to take something away from the frozen North but fear it will be a home win. 

[Les Cabbage]

First time travelling to Elgin, that’ll be me up to 40/42, hope the early start and late arrival home will be worth it.

A point would be decent, a win would be superb.

Not seen City since the Peterhead game due to a bit of galavanting but things have sounded positive.

Hope to see a good performance.

[tamthebam]

14 hours ago, Les Cabbage said:

First time travelling to Elgin, that’ll be me up to 40/42, hope the early start and late arrival home will be worth it.

A point would be decent, a win would be superb.

Not seen City since the Peterhead game due to a bit of galavanting but things have sounded positive.

Hope to see a good performance.

Borough Briggs is a great old fashioned ground and a good day out. The quirk is that the pie stall in the terrace only sells chips and the pie stall next to the stand sells pies, or at least that was the arrangement last time I was up there

[WeAreElgin]

Don't think I have ever seen chips for sale at Borough Briggs in my entire life.

[1993]

Been selling for years in the away end shop. No pies. Think it’s an outside caterer!

[Briggsy's Ghost]

Really need to be looking to get 3 points from this. A very decent start to the season but we look a bit short on goals so hopefully we can get that sorted on Saturday. Not sure on formation/ starting 11 after that ridiculous red card will rule out Dolzanski but we have plenty options so I’m optimistic for a win. 3-1

[Elgin Macca]

I know its very early in the season but this feels like a big game! With Spartans playing East Fife 3 points here would be very handy. As mentioned above the lack of goals is a bit of a worry but would take a scrappy 1-0 win....Header from Jack Murray!

[Super Elgin City]

I think Edinburgh City will be a tough test. For some reason the bookies seem to be writing them off every week with huge odds. They look like they are improving week on week to me. Any win will do ahead of a huge trip to Peterhead next week.

[1993]

Our assistant manager was very effusive in his praise for Edinburgh City. He says among other things that they are a really good team, who play really good football, superbly coached and they remain true to their football identity. He says they are top of the league on possession and territory stats. He says no way will they be struggling at the bottom of the league at the end of the season.

A bit of expectation management maybe but agree they have started better than most on P&B thought and can only get better.

A difficult game and would be happy with any win.

[1993]

5 minutes ago, 1993 said:

Our assistant manager was very effusive in his praise for Edinburgh City. He says among other things that they are a really good team, who play really good football, superbly coached and they remain true to their football identity. He says they are top of the league on possession and territory stats. He says no way will they be struggling at the bottom of the league at the end of the season.

A bit of expectation management maybe but agree they have started better than most on P&B thought and can only get better.

A difficult game and would be happy with any win.

He also says that there is a misconception that Elgin are struggling to score goals, in particular the forwards. He points out that we are the second highest scorers in the league.

Take out the first game and it’s 6 in 6 league games, which isn’t exactly free scoring. I take his point that goals have been shared around and compared to other teams we are doing better than I thought.

[tamthebam]

2 hours ago, 1993 said:

Our assistant manager was very effusive in his praise for Edinburgh City. He says among other things that they are a really good team, who play really good football, superbly coached and they remain true to their football identity. He says they are top of the league on possession and territory stats. He says no way will they be struggling at the bottom of the league at the end of the season.

A bit of expectation management maybe but agree they have started better than most on P&B thought and can only get better.

A difficult game and would be happy with any win.

An intelligent chap your assistant manager.

We do play good football and often enjoy a lot of possession...

 

...shortly before either blasting it over or losing the ball and seeing some ratbag stick it in our net 

[1993]

Could be an interesting game as we are usually pretty high on possession as well

[CrispyMelon]

Sore one at the end there.

Edinburgh City should have been out of sight by half time. Their goal was a long time coming and it was a belter of a free kick by Connor Young. We were struggling to adjust without Dolzanski and generally just looked a bit lost at sea.

Second half was completely one way traffic the other way though. Elgin equalised early on and quickly took control of the match. The second goal was a cracker and for sure one to check out when the SPFL release their round-up.

Edinburgh then equalised completely against the run of play to make for a nervy finish. We then got what I thought was a last minute winner as Cairns got his first goal for the club to much elation and hoarseness of throat from myself.

Brutal way to end the game and a blow to lose Draper for Peterhead next week. Thankfully we’ll have Dolzanski back. I’d be open to starting Cameron at right-back again next week though, thought he did really well when he was playing there first half.

Must say despite the generally positive comments online about Edinburgh City prior to this match, I still sorely underestimated them. Played some really good stuff at times and you feel as the season goes on they probably convert a few more of those chances. I’ll be interested to see how they get on this campaign.

Edited September 28 by CrispyMelon

[May Rckinnon]

45 minutes ago, CrispyMelon said:

Must say despite the generally positive comments online about Edinburgh City prior to this match, I still sorely underestimated them. Played some really good stuff at times and you feel as the season goes on they probably convert a few more of those chances. I’ll be interested to see how they get on this campaign.

You're not the only one. What I noticed from their visit to station park is that they're a very commited unit with a manager who is absolutely trying to get everything out of them during the 90 minutes.

They'll have a point to prove having been labelled the whipping boys before a ball was kicked. 

After 8 games of this season I don't see them as the worst of the bunch. EF, Peterhead & Elgin look like good sides, everyone else is average at best.

[WeAreElgin]

Dingwall was desperately unlucky to hit the post after a couple of cracking goals in the second half. If he'd put that away I think we'd be cruising. Only ourselves to blame for not killing the game off. Starting to get a little concerned at how little our attackers are contributing!

[1993]

Enjoyed the game but we are drawing too many, still 3-3 is better than 0-0! Don’t know what the first half was all about, we looked like strangers to each other. Their centre backs and middle two in midfield had so much time it was unreal. Playing one up front to a middling team at home didn’t sit well. That one being Gavin, who had no chance of closing down their back four, resulting on us not pressing and being on the back foot. After Lairds comments midweek about Edinburgh I felt maybe they overthought things? It took Hydes injury to force change of personnel and positions and we looked much better after that. Poor goal to loose at the end with the ball going through the wall. Draper and Hyde will be misses next week. 
Thought the forwards did contribute in setting up Dingwall for the second goal but like to see them on the scoresheet a bit more.

[tamthebam]

Maybe I should have gone up instead of taking in a local game... I like Borough Briggs. 

Three goals scored, a point away from home (albeit rescued perhaps) - good

Three goals lost (albeit against a good team reportedly) - not so good

The thought always was that City will get better if they start to get goals and points and we've got a point away from home this week as a morale booster. We've got Stranraer at home next week in a bottom of the table clash and I like Stranraer but it's a dog eat dog world.. 

[Les Cabbage]

That was definitely worth the journey and good to get Elgin ticked off.

Pies were absolutely terrific aswell, was seriously pleased.

Not a bad return on investment for my ticket and journey with the 6 goals, 4 of which were corkers.

Like others have said Elgin were poor first half but a lot better second. Definitely think they’re one of the better teams I’ve seen this season, would be surprised if they’re not in the promotion play offs.

Connor Young is such a huge player for us, 6 goals in 7 I make it now, do hope we can keep hold of him though as that may be tough.

Thought Jason Jarvis was very good off the bench, hope he gets a start next week, albeit I won’t be able to make another game until the next round of the Scottish Cup due to other commitments.

[afca32]

We got what we deserved for a terrible first half. Not sure why we were so passive but it was painful to watch us sit right off Edinburgh, only for them to play through our midfield really easily, then when we won it back just punt it straight back to their defence. Dajon did more in the two minutes he was on in that half than most of the rest of the team combined.

Fortunately we carried that pressure from the end of the first half into the second and did create quite a lot of chances. Dingwall took his goals really well and was unlucky when he hit the post, he got a wee push just before which was enough to put him off balance. I think the team that started the second period is much closer to our best team than the starting XI, both shape and personnel wise. I don't like the 3-4-3 that Hale seems to have settled on and think there are too many players playing out of position.

Edinburgh looked well drilled and passed it pretty well. Young is clearly a talent too and has improved since his season at Clyde.

I'm getting concerned about our performances. Hale is very good at making changes or tactical tweaks to improve us during games but I have thought for a long time that we don't start games well enough. It seems sometimes that it takes us going behind to start playing, although thankfully there is a resilience to this team that was so badly missing this time last year. 8 games unbeaten is great but 5 of those are draws and we need to start turning more of them into victories to have much chance of promotion. Peterhead have been faltering a bit themselves of late otherwise I'd be pretty concerned about our trip to Balmoor. If we can get a couple of points or more from our two October games then I'll be more confident with a run of very winnable games in November.

Edited September 29 by afca32