Elgin City manager Gavin Price is urging a proactive display from the Black and Whites when they face Edinburgh City in tonight’s League Two encounter.
City maintained their unbeaten home record last weekend, when they came from behind to draw 1-1 with Forfar Athletic.
Although Price was pleased with his side’s response, he feels they made heavy work of it through their start to the match.
Price feels it is a pattern which has repeated itself throughout the early part of the campaign, with the Elgin boss keen to be sharper off the mark at Ainslie Park.
He said: “It was a Jekyll and Hyde performance against Forfar. The first half was not good enough.
“There were some strong words, I let them know that at half-time, because they can’t just turn on a tap.
“They were excellent against Albion Rovers and I asked for a repeat of that, but it was a really sluggish start to the game which gave Forfar the initiative.
“The second half was a great response and we deservedly got a draw out of the game, but we shouldn’t be putting ourselves in that position. Aspects of our play have to be better.
“We have been quite sluggish at the start of games most of the season, to be honest.
“Even in the Albion Rovers game, I thought we were quite slow off the blocks for the first 10 minutes, and then we settled down.
“We need to try and seize initiative in games rather than waiting for things to happen.”
A strong goalkeeping display from Thomas McHale was a big factor in Elgin coming back to claim a point against the Loons.
McHale was dislodged by Daniel Hoban in the early part of the campaign, but was restored following an injury suffered by the former Caley Thistle goalkeeper.
Price feels both goalkeepers are reacting well to the battle for the gloves, adding: “It’s good for both goalkeepers we have got that competition. Daniel has been hampered a wee bit by an injury, so Thomas has come in and taken his chance.
“He was a big player for us on Saturday. In the first half, there was certainly one situation where he saved us – he stayed up well and stopped Matty Aitken scoring a one-on-one.
“That was a really important part of the game.”
Elgin make the trip to the capital intent on reversing their fortunes against the Citizens, who are unbeaten in the last 11 meetings between the sides.
Gary Naysmith’s men defeated Elgin in last season’s promotion play-off semi-final, with Price eager to end the long wait for a victory which stretches back to August 2018.
Price added: “Edinburgh are a different side to what they were over the last couple of years.
“They have made a lot of changes and we are pretty similar, so hopefully we can finally get a victory against them.”