Elgin missed the chance to move into the League Two play-off positions when they crashed to a 3-0 defeat in Coatbridge conceding three second half goals in 17 minutes.
Gavin Price’s side, now without a league win in their last six outings, got their first chance after 12 minutes when Russell Dingwall swung over a corner from the left, but Jevan Anderson’s downward header went past the far post.
City threatened again in 32 minutes when Blair Malcolm only headed clear as far as Rory MacEwan, 25 yards out, but his fierce volley was held at the second attempt by Rovers goalkeeper Jack Leighfield.
Rovers, who began the evening without a victory in their last four, had to wait 36 minutes for their first chance after Ross Draper felled striker Joe Bevan 19 yards out.
Charlie Reilly’s free-kick was blocked by the Elgin defensive wall and the striker following up, struck the rebound just wide.
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Come on the City! ⚫️⚪️ pic.twitter.com/tYq0JvJ0JM
— Elgin City F.C. (@ElginCityFC) February 21, 2023
No clean sheet in last eight games
Elgin, who have now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last eight matches, went behind 90 seconds after the restart when substitute Max Wright flicked the ball on superbly for top scorer Reilly, who rounded goalkeeper Thomas McHale and rolled the ball into the empty net for his 16th league goal of the campaign.
City responded positively and in 53 minutes Fin Allen set up Dingwall, but his 18-yard low drive was just off the mark.
But it was Rovers who doubled their lead on the hour mark when Reilly blasted home from the spot after Evan Towler needlessly tripped Bevan as he cut in from the right.
Rovers added a third, and wrapped up the points, in 64 minutes when Reilly curled over a free-kick from the right for the towering Ayrton Sonkur to rise and power a header past McHale.
FT’ | ARFC 3 – 0 ECFC
THREE POINTS!
A brilliant second-half display has given the Rovers all three points with two goals from Reilly and a header from Sonkur.
🇲🇰 #ARFCOKAY pic.twitter.com/RSClNrLNcV
— Albion Rovers FC (@albionrovers) February 21, 2023
‘No hiding place’
Elgin City boss Price said: “We were fine in the first half and there were very few chances created by either side.
“Unfortunately at the minute we are in a pretty bad place and not recovering from it.
“It was hugely disappointing how we lost the first goal so early in the second half and how we reacted to it. There is no hiding place now and we have a fight on our hands and we need characters to respond in the right way.
“The form we are on at the moment dictates we need to get points on the board as quick as we can.
“Every game is similar in this league and we need to be up for the fight, and we’re not.
“We are not scoring goals and not creating enough chances and not playing as well as we should be and we need to fix it quickly.”