Shane double earns Elgin victory

TWO Shane Sutherland goals helped Elgin City come from behind to defeat Cowdenbeath in Saturday’s rearranged League 2 clash.

City won 3-1 at rain soaked Borough Briggs and manager Gavin Price was delighted with a performance he rated as their best on home soil this season.

He switched club captain Jon-Paul McGovern from midfield to centre back in the three-man defence which conceded early on but settled as the match wore on.

Elgin recovered well from losing David Cox’s eighth minute opener to dominate and eventually see off the Fifers, who finished up with ten men after keeper David McGurn was sent off.

Price said: “We lost a poor first goal but I still felt confident with how we were playing and keeping the ball.

“We tweaked it a wee bit with the formation and obviously playing JP (McGovern) at the back was a tactical decision but I think it added a dimension to our play.”

Veteran McGovern had only twice played as a defender before in more than two decades of senior football both north and south of the border, but he fitted in well in a defensive three with Matthew Cooper and Darryl McHardy.

“I played there a couple of times at Ayr when Ian McCall put me in there,” he said.

“I had two really good players alongside me today in Coops and Darryl who played really well today, went in and won the headers.

“We discussed that and it allowed me to drop off and pick up the second balls, which worked well today.”

Elgin’s new-look rearguard was sliced open early on by a pass from ex-City striker Jordyn Sheerin which slotted in Cox to score the opening goal.

After that the Black and Whites were always in the ascendency and Sutherland slotted home a 25 minute equaliser after Brian Cameron’s shot fell at his feet.

McHardy, back from suspension the week before and fresh from scoring twice for the under-20s on Monday night, was denied by a superb McGurn save on the stroke of half time.

But five minutes after the interval he latched onto Jordan Lowdon’s cutback and fired low into the corner to give Elgin the lead.

City wrapped up victory on 73 minutes when a defensive mix-up by Cowdenbeath saw Greg Morrison win possession and skip past McGurn to set up an open goal finish before being hauled down by the Cowden goalkeeper.

Ref Scott Millar awarded the penalty, sent the keeper off and with no other goalie on their bench the Fifers had to put defender Jamie Pyper in goal. He was beaten by Sutherland’s kick which sealed the win for the Moray side.

Elgin: Gourlay, Cooper, Lowdon, McHardy, Farquhar (Hay 81), McGovern, Omar (Byrne 83), Cameron, McLeish (Sopel 74), Morrison, Sutherland. Subs: Miller, McGowan, McHale.

Cowdenbeath: McGurn, Mullen, Talbot, Marsh, Deas, Miller (Pyper 63), Cox, Malcolm, Sheerin (Renton 66), Scott (Scullion 74), Buchanan. Subs: Kay, Swann, Skelly

Ref: Scott Millar

Att: 545