Ross Draper says keeping a tight backline will give Elgin City’s attackers the opportunity to make game-changing contributions at the other end.
City play their third League Two match of the season on Saturday, when they make the trip to newly-promoted Spartans.
After starting with a 1-0 loss to Stranraer, City registered their first point of the season in last weekend’s goalless stalemate against Forfar Athletic.
Elgin also kept clean sheets in SPFL Trust Trophy wins against St Johnstone B and Forfar, however they have not found the net in their last three outings.
With a new-look strikeforce, comprising of Matthew Wright, Liam Harvey and Ben Barron, Draper anticipates it will take time for City’s forwards to gel.
The Elgin player-manager insists the attacking threat will come in time if the Black and Whites can continue to build solid foundations.
Draper said: “I spoke on Saturday about clean sheets, and being hard to beat.
“You can go and beat a team 5-1, and you get the same amount of points as a 1-0.
“For me, it’s about keeping the back door shut. We have looked a lot more solid in the last couple of weeks.
“When we looked back at the Stranraer game there were mistakes for the goal, but apart from that there was nothing in the game.
“We have lost one goal in four games. We are not naive, we have rode our luck a little bit in certain games, but it bodes well for the future.
“If we can tighten up at the back, at some point things will click for the boys up front and we will put three or four past a team.
Draper confident goals will come
“I believe in the boys up front, they have got goals in them. When we get a bit of service to them they will get goals.
“It’s the hardest part in football, to score goals.
“We are not expecting it to click. That’s why if we stay in games more, we can potentially nick a result here.
“Eventually when it comes together I believe we will be a decent side.”
Despite the lack of goals in recent weeks, Draper senses his attackers are starting to build promising combinations.
He added: “We have spoken to Ben about little things, like having contact with centre halves. He’s bringing that to his game, his hold up play is better and we get up the pitch a bit better.
“There are things we are going to work on, and things we are going to learn.
“There is competition for places as well, with Matty Wright, Liam Harvey and Ben.”
Elgin have defenders back in fold
City defeated Forfar on penalties in midweek, to set up a third round tie away to Morton in the SPFL Trust Trophy.
Elgin were also boosted by the return of defenders Matthew Cooper and Jake Dolzanski to the starting line-up.
On-loan Ross County defender Connall Ewan suffered a cut to the head, but having not suffered any concussion Draper is hoping to have him available for the trip to Edinburgh.
Draper is pleased to have defensive strength at his disposal, adding: “We were looking forward to getting them game time.
“Matthew was either going to be 45 minutes or 60 minutes, and we managed to get him through 60.
“Jake was always going to be 90 minutes if he could.
“It was a good workout for both of them, they have missed a lot of football.
“We can’t afford to over push them, we have to be patient with them. We can’t afford to miss them for the next two or three months again.
“It’s a box ticked from both of them and performance-wise they were really good. You’d think they’d be a little bit rusty and short of quality on the ball, but it looked like they had not been away.”
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