Elgin City have signed former Albion Rovers forward Smart Osadolor but face a battle to hold on to leading scorer Shane Sutherland.
Nigerian forward Osadolor has signed an 18-month deal ahead of City’s League 2 trip to his former club Annan Athletic today, with the 28-year-old having also spent stints with Queen’s Park and Clyde.
Forward Sutherland, who is out of contract in the summer, has been the subject of inquiries from League 1 leaders Raith Rovers, along with English non-league sides Dover Athletic and York City.
Although the Black and Whites are keen to keep hold of Sutherland, who has netted 22 goals this season, City chairman Graham Tatters insists the club will not stand in the 29-year-old’s way of a move to full-time football should the right offer arrive.
Tatters said: “Things are not moving at the moment because he’s our player until the end of the season. Any offer has to be right for us and for him.
“He has been excellent for us but we wouldn’t stop a guy getting the opportunity to play full-time. That has been his ambition since he left Caley Thistle.”
City defender Stephen Bronsky feels his side must take something from today’s trip to fellow promotion play-off challengers Annan.
Annan, who Bronsky spent the 2016-17 season with, currently occupy fourth place and sit five points ahead of the Moray outfit ahead of today’s Galabank encounter.
Bronsky feels avoiding defeat against an Annan side who have suffered just one home defeat this season is vital if Gavin Price’s men are to maintain a challenge, and he said: “It’s a proverbial six-pointer. We definitely need to take something from it. I know it’s not an easy place to go, and Elgin haven’t got a good record at Annan in the past.
“We drew 1-1 with them down there and beat them 4-0 at home. We are perfectly capable of getting at least a point, but in all seriousness we need to try and take all three.
“It’s a tough place. It’s a small astroturf pitch which is not what we are used to. When I was at Annan We were hard to beat at home, but away we struggled a bit.
“They can beat anyone at home which we have seen in the past, when they beat Hamilton in the Scottish Cup. It’s not a nice place to go if you are a travelling team.”
Bronsky is frustrated by a recent run which has seen Elgin win just one of their last eight matches, adding: “We seem to have been playing well all season, we just can’t manage games.
“I think it’s the best team I’ve been a part of at Elgin, but we just can’t seem to get those points on the board.
“Whether we’re losing sloppy goals or not finding the net, something is not clicking but we feel like it’s got to come eventually.
“It’s a great group of boys and something will give soon.”