Elgin City boss Gavin Price is backing his players to prove they have enough class to dig themselves out of trouble in the lower reaches of League Two.
The Black and Whites have questions to answer on the back of their surprise 2-1 Scottish Cup replay defeat at home to West of Scotland Premier Division opponents Clydebank last weekend.
Inconsistency, not helped by Covid issues and injuries this season, have held City back from showing their potential and they are ninth in the table, a mere three points ahead of rock bottom Cowdenbeath.
Boss has belief in his Elgin squad
This afternoon, they go to Station Park to take on third-placed Forfar Athletic, who they drew 1-1 with at Borough Briggs in August.
The Loons are six games unbeaten in all competitions, while Elgin are seeking their first win since beating Stenhousemuir 2-1 away in late September.
Price is desperate for his squad to finally realise their potential and show it on a weekly basis, starting today.
He said: “We have to regroup and move on from the Clydebank result. It’s a sore one, but the good thing about football is it’s not long until the next game. We just have to be positive and make sure we get our form going.
“I still very much believe in the squad that we’ve got. I know what we’re capable of. We have to be patient and we’ll get it right. We’re determined to do that.
“I see these guys at training all the time and see what they’re capable of. I have seen in glimpses in games this season what we’re capable of. It’s just all about getting that blend right.
“It is pretty much the same squad which has been here the past two seasons. I see no reason why we can’t turn the corner and get back on track. We just need to find consistent form to get the results to get us back up the table.
“Saturday will be another tough game, but I still believe we’re capable of beating any team in this league. It would be a great way to bounce back. The players are determined to do it and so am I.
“The Clydebank tie is behind us, so we will look at what’s in front of us now. Let’s see what we can do.”
Scottish Cup exit can lead to revival
Despite being second bottom with only two league wins all term, Elgin are only three points behind Stranraer, in sixth spot, and a further six points outside the top four.
Price hopes the jolt of being knocked out of the cup in the manner they were will be the turning point for City.
Yep, definitely happening. 🏴 🏆 pic.twitter.com/2bs42PX0fj
— Clydebank FC (@clydebankfc) November 1, 2021
He added: “Sometimes a particular result can change things and we will try to get that on Saturday. We want this to kickstart our season. I am sure once we get a bit of momentum, we will be absolutely fine. We will soon pick up the points I expect us to get.
“I feel as if we’re actually not that far away from clicking. Some teams have had troubles with Covid this season and we’re no different. We’ve had problems with Covid and injuries this season in key positions.
“I am not making excuses, but we have had our problems and we’ve not got the points we should have. We’ve had a fair bit of inconsistency and that’s been a problem.”
Tight division gives Elgin hope
Kelty Hearts are six points richer than second-placed Stirling Albion and Price reckons there’s no real gulf in class elsewhere within the division.
He said: “Kelty are the strongest team, while Stirling are up there too, but I don’t think there’s a lot between second and 10th to be honest. We have to find our consistency, soon, and I’m sure we will.”
Loan trio, defender Tom Grivosti, midfielder Ross Draper and forward Jaime Wilson return to the fold at Forfar after being cup-tied last weekend, but defender Darryl McHardy is expected to still be unavailable.
In what would be a massive boost for City, seven-goal striker Kane Hester, who has been out with a hamstring injury since mid-September, is poised to return to training next week.
