Elgin City manager Gavin Price was relieved to see his team end a run of five consecutive defeats with victory over Stirling.
City’s 3-1 success lifted them out of the bottom three in League 2 but Price warned there is work still to be done.
He saw his team race into a 2-0 first half lead but struggle to kill off a Stirling side who played for an hour with ten men.
“As usual we made hard work of it but I’m pleased for the players,” Price said.
“We put ourselves under a little bit of pressure and maybe on the back of the run we’ve been on, that’s understandable.
“The important thing is we got the three points and you can sense a relief after that.
“It’s one game, it doesn’t achieve anything but what it does do is end that run that’s been hanging over us.
“There was good quality in the first half and a real togetherness.
“We asked them all to be good team-mates today and they were. They looked after each other on the park and I’m pleased for them.”
Here is the team lineup for todays match against @Stirling_Albion
Come on City! 🖤⚽️ pic.twitter.com/FAOIkiN80o
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) February 26, 2022
Price put on-loan Cove Rangers centre back Jevan Anderson straight into his starting line-up while there was a place on the bench for his latest arrival, Tyler Mykyta on loan from Aberdeen.
With assistant manager Steven Mackay unavailable, Price brought back a familiar face to his technical area.
St Johnstone legend Jim Weir, who Price assisted as Elgin manager before succeeding him five years ago, returned to Borough Briggs to lend a helping hand on the day.
City’s tendency to concede early goals in recent matches was reversed when they drew first blood on ten minutes.
Russell Dingwall’s persistence on the left led to a low cross which Stirling failed to cut out and Darryl McHardy slammed the ball high into the net.
Kane Hester fired a volley just over then was denied by the outstretched leg of keeper Blair Currie when he broke clean through on 20 minutes.
Rabin Omar was pulling the strings for Elgin against the club he left to join City earlier this year, and he produced the first goal of his return on 26 minutes.
A sweet touch and a clinical finish inside the box by the former Morton midfielder made it 2-0.
Stirling were left with a mountain to climb when centre back Jordan McGregor fouled Hester on a run on goal and was shown a straight card with an hour still to play.
Omar set Hester up for another golden opportunity just before the break but Elgin’s top scorer uncharacteristically shot wide of the target from good position.
It was a different game in the second half with Stirling’s ten men looking resurgent from the kick off.
They pulled back on goal nine minutes in when Elgin’s defence lost concentration at a Jack Leitch corner and Dylan Mackin drilled home through a crowded goalmouth.
Some nervous moments ensued for the home team and their supporters before City finally managed to put the game to bed in the closing stages.
Hester was denied by another good Currie stop but finally got his goal on 81 minutes, cutting across the box before slotting in a left foot finish.
Brian Cameron twice struck the post in the closing minutes with the visitors resigned to defeat and the pressure firmly off the home side.
FT here at Borough Briggs
Goals from Kane Hester, Darryl McHardy and Rabin Omar pic.twitter.com/y8dKUpzGYo
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) February 26, 2022
Goalscorer Omar was thrilled to net for Elgin against the club he left to return to Borough Briggs earlier this season.
“It was a massive, massive win for the team,” he said.
“We came out in the first half absolutely flying out the traps.”
Omar’s goal arrived on the back of McHardy’s opener and he said: “Darryl’s header dropped in the middle of the park for me. I managed to get in behind and run through and get a nice finish. I’m delighted with it.
“Stirling have got really good players and when they went down to ten men we did take the foot off the gas.
“The character we showed to come back after they scored was brilliant.”