Russell Dingwall feels Elgin City have got what it takes to mount a promotion challenge despite their recent dip in form.
Elgin’s sole win in League 2 so far came against Cowdenbeath on the opening day of the season but former Ross County youngster Dingwall reckons they have the talent to challenge at the top end of the table.
A 2-0 defeat against Cove Rangers on Saturday leaves them eighth in the table, ahead of a trip to bottom side Brechin City on Saturday.
The 22-year-old, who joined Elgin in the summer, is confident they can right their form and challenge at the business end of the division.
He said: “The aim is to get promoted to League 1. The gaffer and the players feel we’re capable of it but we’re not showing it at the moment.
“I played in League 1 the last two seasons and feel the teams are very similar. It’s just maybe at the top end where teams have a bit more cutting edge.
“We’ve been doing well in the cups, but in the league we can’t seem to get anything going. I feel with the squad we’ve got, we’re capable of playing in League 1 and hopefully we can get things rolling.”
The return of Shane Sutherland for a fourth spell at Borough Briggs has helped their goal return but Dingwall does not want them to become over-reliant on him.
He added:”We look to him when things aren’t going well and he’s really come up with the goals for us.
“There’s a lot of onus on him and if he’s not at it, we’re maybe struggling to find something else to break teams down.”
Dingwall, who had loan spells with Forfar Athletic and Stenhousemuir in the last two seasons, was let go by County in the summer.
Joining Elgin was his taste of part-time football and the midfielder is juggling it alongside working for his father’s painting and decorating business.
Dingwall said: “It’s a big change for me but just getting to play week in, week out, was a big thing, rather than training all week and having nothing to look forward to.
“I still don’t know what I want to do for the rest of my life – I’m quite happy working and if I need time off for training or games, my dad is pretty reasonable.
“I said to (Elgin boss) Gavin Price that if I was going part-time, it would be for Elgin as it’s the closest to home and the most convenient for me.”