Russell Dingwall sees this weekend’s SPFL Trust Trophy tie against Clyde as an opportunity for Elgin City to show their League One credentials.
City are third in League Two at present, and on track for a return to the promotion play-offs at the end of the season.
Saturday’s visitors Clyde are struggling in the division above, and sit second bottom with only two wins from 17 matches.
Elgin have a long-held ambition to gain promotion to Scottish football’s third-tier for the first time in their history.
Having already defeated Peterhead 4-0 earlier in the competition, midfielder Dingwall sees this weekend’s match as another chance for Elgin to show they can compete.
Dingwall said: “Winning any game breeds confidence within the team. That’s the way we are looking at it.
“If we can go back into the league off the back of a win it’s good for the boys’ confidence.
“It’s good to still be in the cups, it gives us a little break from the league to put our minds on to something else.
“The draws have been good to us, it has given us chances to progress. They have not been easy games, but games that are winnable.
“Clyde are obviously a team in the league above, but we fancy ourselves to give them a run for their money.
“We have played Peterhead this season and we managed to beat them.
“League One is where we want to be next year, so it’s good to test ourselves against these teams and see how we come up.”
City have responded well to Dumbarton setback
Elgin go into the match on the back of three straight victories, including a Scottish Cup triumph over Hill of Beath Hawthorn which has set up a fourth round tie at home to Drumchapel United next month.
The run follows a disappointing 4-0 home reverse to Dumbarton in November, with Dingwall eager to keep the momentum going.
He added: “The Dumbarton game was probably our worst point of the season.
“On the day we were very poor and we didn’t cause them any problems.
“To have to go to Annan straight after that was always going to be a tough one, but the boys were brilliant that day. We dug in, we were defensively superb and we got a win which many teams won’t do this season.
“It was a good way to bounce back. We know in this league there are going to be ups and downs, because realistically anyone can beat anyone.
“It’s just about not getting too low when you get beaten, and not getting too high when you’re on a good run.
“We need to keep the heads down and work, and see where it takes us.”
Midfielder well among goals for Black and Whites
Dingwall is enjoying a stellar campaign for the Black and Whites, having netted 12 goals so far.
His haul included a hat-trick in a 3-2 win over Bonnyrigg Rose last month.
It has already doubled his best return from a campaign, when he scored six in the 2020-21 season.
A stellar finish from Dingwall 👏
Elgin with a huge 3⃣ points#cinchL2 | @ElginCityFC pic.twitter.com/py3mSv85g4
— SPFL (@spfl) December 5, 2022
Former Ross County player Dingwall feels the attacking licence he has been given by manager Gavin Price has allowed him to thrive.
The 25-year-old added: “It’s the best I have had so far since I’ve been playing men’s football, so it has obviously been a great start to the season for me.
“Hopefully I can keep it going.
“The manager has been on at me for a few seasons now to hit the box. He has a real emphasis on getting numbers in the area, as we will score more goals.
“He has allowed me to go further up the park and it seems to be working for us.
“The team is flying, and I’m doing well and scoring goals. It’s really enjoyable and you can’t really ask for much more when you are playing football.”
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