Midfielder Daniel Moore believes Elgin City’s influx of full-time talent is turning them into full-blown title contenders.
The former Ross County player helped the Borough Briggs team see off an East Fife revival on Saturday to cut the margin on League 2 leaders Annan to just four points.
Moore feels third-placed City now has strength in depth and a powerful blend of former full-time players and talented loanees from a similar background.
Moore, who scored his side’s fourth goal in stoppage time, said: “We’re as good as any team in the league.
“But it will be the team which remains most consistent that will come out on top.
“We just need to keep winning week-in, week-out, like Albion Rovers did last year when they went on earn promotion.
“We need to pick up more points away from home and we’re changing the way we play by becoming less cavalier.
“We need to tighten things up a bit, but if we could put our finger on exactly why we’re stronger at home then we’d be top of the league.
“Most importantly, we’ve got a stronger squad this year. In previous seasons it was perhaps just strength from one to 11, but this season we have the capability and the depth.
“There are players on the sidelines ready to slot straight into the team, so that’s been a boost.
“Also, players who are full-time have that energy and youthful enthusiasm and I think we’ve used the loan system well so far.
“Signing Dylan Easton also gives us another dimension and we’ve become far less predictable. He helps us mix it up a bit now.
“He likes that we enjoy getting the ball down and playing, and his movement in catching defenders out is superb.
“We’re lucky to have him as he’s setting up goals, playing well, getting chances and winning free kicks, so it’s definitely another dimension.
“Teams aren’t able to deal with him.”
Moore feared a repeat of the previous weekend’s lapse as East Fife got back into the game.
Elgin tore into a 2-0 lead only to find themselves level at the interval. Brian Cameron put the Black and Whites in front after just 35 seconds, peeling off the defence to latch on to Dylan Easton’s pass and calmly converting from 10 yards.
Craig Gunn doubled Elgin’s tally on four minutes as he finished with a close-range flick from a Moore corner on the right.
But the Fifers punished some slackness from the City defence on 10 minutes as Kieran MacDonald squared for Kyle Wilkie to score from the edge of the box.
East Fife then equalised with a fine move on 37 minutes as Jonathan Page cut the ball back across the face of goal for Nathan Austin to shoot high into the net.
The second period failed to match the energy and intensity of the first, but Elgin nudged ahead on 66 minutes as City captain Darryl McHardy struck from close range.
After a late breakaway, Moore eased any late worries for the home with a superb free kick.