Elgin City manager Gavin Price is confident Evan Towler can thrive after returning to Borough Briggs on loan for the remainder of the campaign.
Aberdeen left-back Towler was recalled from a spell with Championship side Cove Rangers, before immediately being farmed out to City. It follows a successful loan spell with the Black and Whites in the second half of last season, when he made 17 appearances in his first taste of senior football.
Towler struggled with illness earlier in the season, reducing him to 10 outings for Cove.
His return to Elgin is timely, after left-back Lewis Nicolson was recalled by Inverness.
Price is thrilled to have Scotland under-19 international full-back Towler back among his squad.
He said: “We know what Evan can do. He has had a hard year with illness, but he’s back fully fit now.
“We are very lucky to have him back in, and it’s important for him to get back playing games again.
“I’m sure he will, as he’s got a good attitude to the game. He’s a good professional with a good head on him, and it’s important for him to be playing games at a competitive level for the rest of the season.
“That will bring him on, and I’m sure he will go on to have a good career at Aberdeen.”
City looking to return to winning ways against Annan
Elgin are aiming to get their home form back on track when Annan Athletic make the trip north on Saturday.
The Black and Whites have suffered defeat in their last two outings at Borough Briggs, against Stirling Albion and East Fife.
Despite winning both league encounters against Annan this season, Price knows to expect a tough test against Peter Murphy’s side.
He added: “We have had years when we have done really well against Annan and some when we have done really badly.
“It’s hard to know what to expect but they are a good, strong side. They have us a really hard game down there. Although we came through it, they put us under a lot of pressure.
“I’m sure they will be eager to put that right.
“In the home game, we were very good against them – it was probably our best performance at home this season. We’ve got to look to take confidence from that, and hopefully look to cause them problems and get our home form back working.”
Elgin remain on course for play-off push
Elgin remain third in the League Two table, however, Price feels his side could easily be sitting more comfortably in their position.
Price added: “We are still carrying the frustration from last week.
“In terms of performances, we could be in a stronger position, and that’s the way we’ve got to look at things at the minute.
“The response from negative results has been good. We have responded well and in training this week the boys have been eager to get that right again.
“We’ve got to have that mindset on Saturday to try to get the three points.”
Elgin remain without Rory MacEwan and Daniel Hoban, however, defender Jake Dolzanski returns to the fold.