Elgin City are now fourth in League 2 after posting a 1-0 win against dangerous visitors Albion Rovers.
This result – a fourth successive victory for the Black and Whites – earned by a second-half headed goal by defender Jake Dolzanski, means the Moray club are now above East Fife and also just one point behind third-placed Stenhousemuir in the table.
Five points and five places separated Elgin and Rovers at kick-off, with City’s run of just one loss in 12 games, taking them up the standings in recent weeks.
There was one Elgin change only from Saturday’s fine 3-2 victory at Stranraer, with Rory MacEwan coming in for Brian Cameron.
Albion also came into this rearranged fixture on the back of a victory – their 2-1 win against Bonnyrigg Rose had lifted them off the foot of the table.
Visiting boss Brian Reid also made one change from the weekend, with Blair Malcolm replaced by Lewis Kidd.
The first opportunity fell the way of Rovers when Charlie Reilly whipped in a free-kick conceded by Ross Draper, but Ayrton Sonkur flashed a headed effort just past the left post.
City were nippy, too, with 15-goal forward Hester sniffing around for early openings.
With the rain tipping down in the first 20 minutes, neither side was finding a settled pattern, though, with some slack and rushed play at times.
Rovers almost made the breakthrough when a low stinging Reilly drive was superbly turned away by Elgin goalkeeper Daniel Hoban.
Elgin were then close to scoring when, from a Russell Dingwall free-kick, a loose ball broke to Hester, who was denied by Rovers keeper Jack Leighfield.
Hoban was called into action again on 36 minutes when he superbly clutched a strong swerving shot from Michael Paton.
City had one last burst before the break when a surging run down the left by on-loan Caley Jags defender Lewis Nicolson took him clear, but his cross just missed the boot of the in-rushing Dylan Lawrence.
Albion’s Paton was also not far off just before the interval with a rising shot from the edge of the box, which had too much height.
Elgin talisman Hester almost cashed in on a moment of slackness at the back early in the second half, but his effort didn’t have enough power to take the ball over the line.
Albion then issued a fresh reminder of their threats and it took another fine stop from Hoban to keep out a drive from Reilly.
Home boss Gavin Price made substitutions with more than half an hour left – Chris Antoniazzi, Tom Findlay and Greig Young pitched in to make a difference.
The long-awaited winner came on 74 minutes when Dingwall swept in a corner to the busy box and Dolzanski guided home a superb header to finally beat Leighfield.
Both teams pressed late on to either seal the match or level it, but it ended 1-0 and City’s rise continues.
Elgin could break into the top three on Saturday, if they can add three points against basement team Forfar Athletic at Borough Briggs.
Albion Rovers travel to leaders Dumbarton on Saturday, with the Sons having taken just one point from their last three fixtures, leaving them just two points above in-form Stirling Albion, who play Stenhousemuir.
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