Edinburgh City boss hails complete performance against Elgin

Josh Walker scores to put City 2-0 up. Pic: Ian Georgeson

First-half goals from Craig Beattie and Josh Walker were swiftly added to in the second by Gareth Rodger and Farid El Alagui in a game City could have won by more.

“That’s definitely our best performance,” said the City boss. “We’ve been good most first halves since I’ve been here. We’ve only been behind maybe two or three times at half-time but the difference throughout today and especially in the second half, we went at it again.

“We were 2-0 up after the first half and it could have been more. We’ve come right out the traps in the second half and you expect a reaction from the opposition, but we got on the front foot again so the boys deserve immense credit. We’ve a core of 14 bodies and they just keep giving it everything. We deserved that as it’s been a long time coming.”

He was especially pleased in the way they killed the game off quickly. “I alluded to the fact that we were 2-0 up against Annan at half-time, got to 3-0 then got a wee bit slack,” McDonaugh explained. “We let them back into a game that should have been done, and that couldn’t happen today. We’ve had four clean sheets since the start of the year and for a team in trouble, that’s a big thing.”

Elgin keeper Brett Long was forced in to the first save on nine minutes. Dundee Utd loanee Graham Taylor muscled his way in a long ball before hitting a crisp low volley that was well held.

Just like the previous weekend at Stenhhousemuir, the woodwork denied City the lead when Gareth Rodgers stabbed a loose ball off the cross bar.

It was only cleared for a corner however and Walker’s delivery was met by Beattie, who glanced home, a week on and almost to the minute since his costly error at Ochilview.

It was 2-0 shortly before the break, and Long won’t want to see his part again. It looked as if he attempted to keep Walker’s low shot out with his knee, only for it to strike the post and go in.

He did far better to prevent the City captain scoring again right after. The resulting corner was then met once again by Beattie, who this time saw his header come back off the same post as Walker’s goal.

It was 3-0 and game over within five minutes of the restart. Another Walker corner wasn’t defended properly by the visitors and Rodger forced it home from close range for his first City goal.

Taylor raced through soon after only for Long to get out quickly to prevent it becoming four. That only delayed the scoring, however, as El Alalgui beat the keeper to a bouncing ball, allowing the former Hibs striker to nod in to an empty net.

Beattie was delighted to make a more positive early impact this time around. “I thought we got off to a good start last week too but a wee error in judgment on my part has cost us that game,” said the player/assistant manager. “We battered Elgin for 10-15 minutes until we got the first goal and we didn’t take out foot off the gas.

“Two-nil is a horrible lead because you can subconsciously take your mind off it, but as a group we didn’t and it was a good day all round.”

Edinburgh City: Antell, Walker, Laird, Thomson, Blues (Watson 87), Beattie, Rodger, Taylor (Paton 83), El Alagui, Dunn (McKee 74), Scullion.

Elgin City: Long, Cooper, Allan, McDonald, Eadie (Bronsky 60), McGovern, Smith, Reilly (McLear 74), McLeish, Cameron, Sutherland (Ferguson 14).

Referee: Kevin Graham.

Attendance: 223.