Elgin City

10-9-15
7th in Scottish League Two

Elgin City 0-1 Heart of Midlothian

Kyle Lafferty struck on his debut to give Hearts a winning Betfred Cup start in Elgin.The Northern Ireland international headed home the only goal on the hour mark to break the resistance of Jim Weir's battling League Two side.Ian Cathro handed a first start to Christophe Berra following his return to Hearts from Ipswich while Manchester City loan defender Ashley Smith-Brown and both Michael Smith and Kyle Lafferty also took their bow in front of a 550-strong travelling support.Berra almost made a dream return with a third-minute header from Don Cowie's free-kick, but Marc Waters saved well and the Hearts defender was penalised for a foul.Jamie Walker had the ball in the net for Hearts on 15 minutes following a mix-up between Waters and defender Darryl McHardy in trying to deal with a high ball through the middle, however an offside flag cut short the midfielder's celebrations.Smith-Brown's first game for the Edinburgh side was to be a short-lived one as he picked up a knock midway through the first half and was replaced by Polish arrival Rafal Grzalek.Lafferty had a shooting chance on the half hour but his effort screwed embarrassingly sideways and fell kindly for Isma Goncalves, who curled wide from 15 yards.Elgin, who crashed to a 6-0 defeat at Dunfermline in their opening game in Group B, enjoyed a brief spell of pressure during which new striker Jordan Allan shot tamely at Jack Hamilton.Three minutes before the break Lafferty rose to meet a Berra ball from deep and head it into the path of Cowie, who blazed his volley over the target.But the former Rangers striker was not to be denied and he headed home Grzelak's cross after a quickly-taken free-kick.Elgin had their moments as they pushed for an equaliser while Walker and Lafferty again came close at the other end. ends

7Y
PA Sport

Elgin City

SOCCER

Dale Carrick goal could be key as Cowdenbeath boss Gary Locke starts with a draw

Gary Locke took a point in his first game in charge of rock-bottom Cowdenbeath as they drew 1-1 at home to Elgin in Ladbrokes League Two.The game kicked off at 8.15pm following traffic congestion on the Forth Road Bridge but it took Elgin took just 20 minutes to open the scoring as Brian Cameron fired home.The Blue Brazil moved to within four points of ninth-placed Clyde when Dale Carrick struck an equaliser in the 54th minute and Locke's men held on.

7Y
PA Sport

Elgin City

SOCCER

Elgin City 1-2 Inverness Caledonian Thistle

Lonsana Doumbouya spared Inverness Caledonian Thistle's blushes as his second-half header edged them past League Two Elgin 2-1 in the fourth round of the Scottish Cup.Despite him missing a glut of earlier chances, an under-strength Inverness had Doumbouya to thank to ensure their safe passage into the next round.Mark Nicolson had given Elgin the lead with a low free-kick in the first half before Larnell Cole's immediate leveller.And Guinean Doumbouya headed the decisive goal midway through the second half to oust the plucky Borough Briggs side.Elgin made only one change from their 3-2 win over Annan, with Cammy Mackay, ineligible to play against his parent club, replaced in goal by Marc Waters.The Caley Jags sprang a couple of surprises, leaving out Ross Draper and Josh Meekings entirely from the squad. There were starts for Scott Boden and Aaron Doran, with new signings Dean Ebbe and Henri Anier on the bench.Elgin settled well and briefly pressured the Inverness backline before the visitors edged themselves into the game. Cole, in particular, started well and turned Elgin right-back Matthew Cooper with ease before seeing his shot blocked.Waters was the first goalkeeper to be called into action, palming a long-range effort from Greg Tansey into the air before catching it at the second attempt.Cole then saw his low effort blocked by the legs of Waters as Elgin held Caley Thistle at bay.Yet it was Inverness who conceded first after 25 minutes. Iain Vigurs needlessly hauled down Chris McLeish just outside the area and Nicolson's free-kick, which trundled around the wall, should have been stopped by Owain Fon Williams and could only have taken a bobble before it rolled over the goalkeeper.It sparked something out of the Premiership visitors as Cole took it upon himself to carry the baton, skipping past Cooper again and sliding in an equaliser.Inverness continued in the same vein at the start of the second half, with Doumbouya bringing a smart save out of Waters after meeting a Doran cross. Boden was then denied by a combination of Darryl McHardy and Daniel Moore before Doumbouya contrived to head wide from four yards when Doran picked him out.Doumbouya headed against the bar from a similar distance two minutes later but finally showed a clinical touch, planting a header from Doran's cross past Waters on 67 minutes.Caley Thistle fans were afforded a first sighting of new signing Anier late on, and despite Vigurs hitting the bar from a free-kick, they had enough to hold on.ends

7Y
PA Sport

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Team	GP	W	D	L	GD	P
Stenhousemuir	34	18	13	3	+21	67
Peterhead	34	15	11	8	+18	56
Dumbarton	34	16	8	10	+13	56
Spartans FC	34	14	12	8	+9	54
East Fife	34	11	11	12	+1	44
Forfar Athletic	34	8	15	11	-5	39
Elgin City	34	10	9	15	-21	39
Bonnyrigg Rose	34	8	11	15	-5	35
Stranraer	34	8	9	17	-15	33
Clyde	34	7	11	16	-16	32

Russell DingwallM #7

Brian CameronM #8

Connal EwanD #24

Goal Difference

-21

10th

Goals Scored

33

10th

Assists

15

10th

Goals Conceded

54

9th

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