Free-scoring Elgin City midfielder Russell Dingwall has reset his goal targets after hitting double figures by Bonfire Night.
Manager Gavin Price is delighted Dingwall, who netted just once last term, is now on 10 goals after his match-winning treble in Saturday’s 3-2 victory at Bonnyrigg Rose – which hauled City back into fourth spot in League 2.
Forward Kane Hester has been hogging the headlines with 20 goals, but 25-year-old Dingwall is providing more than a support act role with powerful, lethal performances.
Price praised the former Ross County starlet for shaking his game up and providing telling contributions in the final third.
He said: “I set a challenge to Russell at the start of the season. I asked him to aim for more goals in his game.
“The challenge was for him to get double figures this season and he’s got 10 before mid-November, which is outstanding.
“He’s changed his game and is getting into the box a lot more and is being a lot more positive.
“He’s scoring well in training and showing great technique in front of the goal. We’re encouraging him to do that and it’s showing in the way he’s playing. He’s getting his rewards.
“For Russell and Kane Hester combined to have scored 30 goals is a fantastic return by this stage of the season, but let’s not rest on that.
“I said to Russell on the bus on the way up from Bonnyrigg, he’s going to have to reset his goal target.
“If he keeps making the same runs he’s making, and has the same energy to get into opponents’ boxes, then he will create chances for himself.”
Shaping up for Sons’ showdown
Saturday sees leaders Dumbarton visit Borough Briggs. A 2-1 defeat for Elgin at the Rock in August was a sore one, with two controversial spot-kicks giving the hosts a helping hand when City led.
Stevie Farrell’s pace-setters, who have won three on the spin, are 10 points and three places higher than Elgin.
Price, who believes his team should never have lost their first meeting with the Sons this term, is calling on his players to show their class and land maximum points.
He said: “We certainly should have taken something from Dumbarton this season.
“For large spells, we were the better team and we had a crazy start to the second half when two soft penalties were given against us. We ended up losing the game because of it.
“But Dumbarton are top of the league for a reason. They are well organised and they’re tough to break down, so we will have to be bang at it to get three points, which would maintain our position in the top four.
“We’re scoring goals and playing well and I’d expect we will give Dumbarton a tough test. We aim to put on a positive performance and the goal is to try and get three points.
“Hopefully the fans will turn out in numbers. They’ve been starved of football at home lately, so all going well we can put in a winning performance.”
Star man Dingwall earned latest win
Dingwall’s hat-trick, which included two spot-kicks last weekend at Bonnyrigg, gave Elgin a 3-0 interval advantage.
A Conor Doan goal early in the second half offered the Lowland League champions an opening and George Hunter’s goal with nine minutes left piled the pressure on the Moray side.
Well done to Hat Rik hero Russell Dingwall who makes the Star Man in @spfl TOTW
Well Done Russell 👏 pic.twitter.com/iK527CWrEe
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) November 8, 2022
However, Price was more than satisfied to depart with maximum points to move back into the play-off positions.
He added: “Scoring early in the second half gave Bonnyrigg a lift, which was disappointing from our point of view. We were maybe guilty of rushing possession a little bit and that’s something we need to learn from.
“Overall, our performance was very good. You can’t expect to have it all your own way and it was a fantastic three points.”
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