Watertight backline spells big things for Elgin City
Published:
Throughout the 2014-15 league campaign Elgin City kept seven clean sheets. Five matches into the current season and the Black and Whites are already half-way past that tally.
The stinginess at the back that they have been showing so far is in some way thanks to goalkeeper Mark Hurst.
On loan from St Johnstone until January the 19-year-old has been in inspired form between the sticks at Borough Briggs, with the side currently challenging for the top spot in Ladbrokes League 2.
Barring a heavy defeat against Championship side Greenock Morton in the League Cup, just table toppers East Fife have breached the Moray side’s goal.
Speaking to The Northern Scot after their most recent victory Hurst was full of praise for his team-mates but warned that they need to continue to work hard.
“We just grinded it out in the end [against Stirling Albion]. They put all the pressure on us and we dealt with it well,” he said.
“We just need to keep working hard throughout the team, from the strikers right back to me in goal”.
The solid performances have seen City clipped in to 8/1 chances from 20/1 outsiders to take the title in May.
While claiming top-spot may be a touch ambitious at this stage, the start they have made could see them well on course for a play-off place come the end of the campaign.
Last term they finished in seventh place, 10 points short of fourth and a spot in the promotion chase.
The concession of single goals last season could well have been the difference of challenging for a place in the third tier of Scottish football.
Jim Weir’s side fell to three 1-0 defeats, while they were held to a quartet of 1-1 draws, dropping a total of 10 points in games where they narrowly avoided to keep clean sheets.
Keep it tight at the back like they have been doing already this term and a move up the footballing ladder could be on the cards sooner rather than later.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.
