Elgin City’s on-loan defender Andrew McDonald is hoping to have a double celebration come the end of the season.
McDonald netted his first senior goal on Saturday for the winner against Annan Athletic and wants to get Elgin into the League 2 play-offs, while seeing his parent club St Mirren secure a return to the Premiership.
Victory at Borough Briggs and Stenhousemuir’s late defeat to Montrose cuts the gap to the play-off spots to two points, as McDonald’s header sealed City’s fourth home win on the spin.
He said: “It would be a successful season if we got into the play-offs – that’s our aim just now. It would be the perfect way to finish the season if St Mirren got promoted as well. It was an ideal way to get my first goal, to get us the three points we were after.
“I’ll keep trying my best for the team and hopefully make a good contribution this year.”
The 19-year-old centre-back has played the last five games since joining from the Buddies and is enjoying the step-up from under-20s football.
McDonald said: “The competitiveness is the biggest difference. It’s all about the three points no matter what, whereas at under-20s it’s more about how you’re playing, your performance. Manager Jack Ross has been in touch with me to see how I’m doing. It’s good to see them doing well even though I’m not there.”
Elgin made one change from the 3-1 defeat to Stirling Albion, with Chris Dodd dropping out for Ali Sutherland. Former St Mirren forward Lewis McLear was on the bench as a trialist – his second stint with Elgin after appearing for them in pre-season.
He was most recently with junior side Blantyre Victoria.
Visiting captain Steven Swinglehurst gave Annan the lead seven minutes in when he headed Evan Horne’s deep free kick towards the near post.
Goalkeeper Brett Long got two hands to it but could only push it in off the upright.
It took only four minutes for Elgin to level through Thomas Reilly, after positive work by Sutherland down the left saw him cut back for the central midfielder to finish.
McDonald saw an early second-half shot cleared off the line for the hosts and Sutherland’s dipping shot was clung on to by Alex Mitchell at his near post.
Mitchell made a fabulous save to deny Declan Byrne on 72 minutes but from the resulting corner, Chris Mcleish headed Jordan Allan’s corner back across goal for McDonald to nod in.
However City boss Gavin Price will have been concerned to see both Chris Dodd and Cameron Eadie limp off in the second half.
Dodd had been on the field six minutes before going off with a suspected broken collarbone, while Eadie took a gash to the knee late on to leave Elgin with 10 men.