Match-winner Angus Mailer reckons Elgin City can kick off 2022 with a fresh set of targets after ending this year with three precious points.
The City defender popped up with the only goal on Tuesday as the Black and Whites defeated hosts Stirling Albion 1-0 in what was new Binos’ boss Darren Young’s first game in charge.
A great moment for youngster & local lad Fin Allen last night as he made his first competitive start at the age of 17.
He played 65 minutes in our win over Stirling Albion last night.
I'm sure there are many more to come! 🤍⚽ pic.twitter.com/fTbNIxAA5e
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) December 22, 2021
It was a vital victory in League Two for second-bottom Elgin, who opened up a seven-point advantage over Cowdenbeath, while putting the Moray team within a win away from Albion Rovers and Stenhousemuir.
A comeback from 2-0 down to snatch at 2-2 draw at home to Stenny on Saturday bolstered belief ahead of Tuesday’s trip to Stirling on Tuesday.
Cowdenbeath were edged out 2-1 by Edinburgh City last night, meaning the gap between themselves and Elgin remains at seven points and the Blue Brazil have played one match more.
Rivals now within Elgin’s range
And 23-year-old defender Mailer is in no doubt how important Tuesday’s win could be for Elgin.
He said: “It was our biggest result of the season so far. Although it wasn’t a must-win, we had the momentum after getting a late equaliser at the weekend.
“The boys were confident. We wanted nothing less than three points – it was an ugly three points, but no one is bothered by that.
“When I looked at the league table on Tuesday night, we’re not too far away. A few more wins and we’re back in the pack.
“We’re looking up the table, rather than behind us. Any team that can win two or three games can find themselves in the mix for the play-offs.
“We’ve had a poor start to the season – everyone knows that, but a couple of wins, especially given how tight the league is, can drive you up. Hopefully we can get as many wins as we can in January and put ourselves in the running.”
Mailer netted wearing number 10
Mailer was delighted to bag his second goal of the season, adding: “I was up for a corner and Ross Draper got the header and the ball fell to me and I managed to poke it in. I was wearing the number 10 on Tuesday, so maybe that’s why I got the goal.”
Plunged into darkness before kick-off
The floodlights and power within Forthbank failed ahead of kick-off, causing a bit of disruption and Mailer explained how that gave them an extra cause.
He added: “The power issue seemed to motivate us even more. We went in and getting changed and there was no heating.
“We were in darkness for most of our team-talk and the lights were flickered on and off. I think that spurred us on to make sure we left with nothing less than the win.”
Cancelling out new boss bounce
Mailer said Stirling’s manager switch with Young replacing Kevin Rutkiewicz, who stepped down earlier this month was discussed within the visiting squad beforehand.
He added: “We talked about that before the game. When a club gets a new manager, their players will want to impress and raise their game a little bit more.
“We made sure we snuffed that out of them. The first 20 minutes was a scrappy affair, but we were just glad to get the win. Four points from our last two games is a good return. We’d have taken that and it’s positive going into January.”
Forfar Athletic first up in New Year
Elgin will return to action on Sunday, January 2, when they host second-placed Forfar Athletic.
Elgin held the Loons 1-1 in August and were edged out 2-1 at Station Park in November and Mailer insists the team will be ready for a tough opening match in 2022.
He said: “Forfar have been doing really well, chasing Kelty’s tails at the top.
“But we had a good game against them at Borough Briggs last time and were unlucky not to get a point down there. We know if we play as we can, we can get a result.
“We have a wee break before that game. We’ll have a group session next week and prepare for the next game.”