Spartans 1-2 Elgin City: Elgin do just enough to slay Spartans

Published on Saturday 6 December 2008 18:48

Elgin City 2 Wright 52; Nicolson 63 Spartans 1 Henretty 83

ELGIN City eked out a victory against a stubborn Spartans side to progress to the Fourth Round of the Homecoming Scottish Cup where they'll face Airdrie at New Broomfield.

The cup will hopefully provide respite for City following their domestic woes – they faced determined and dogged opponents in Spartans, although Elgin were eager to put to bed their nightmare performance at Annan two weeks ago when they crumbled to a 5-0 defeat.

City's loan signing Joe Malin was called into action in the opening seconds with a fine double-block – first Robbie Manson, then Nicky Walker followed up from tight at the left post.

Spartans early pressure penned City back and Alex King skirted the 18 yard box before firing over. Walker tried from similar range as City set about squeezing out of their own half.

The occasional foray failed to mask that Elgin were struggling to get to grips with their visitors and King threaded the ball through to Walker for another crack at goal, with Malin's legs preventing the opener.

Elgin's turn to threaten came on 15 minutes when good build-up from Nicolson and Kenny Wright allowed Jason Crooks a drive at goal, but Spartans stopper Chris Flockhart turned it round the post. Wright himself was next to threaten, as City midfielder Craig Campbell waited for his team-mate to peel away, before playing through the former Albion Rovers man. However Wright's shot from right-of-centre again found Flockhart on good form.

Spartans nearly hit the self-destruct on 25 minutes as Flockhart – too casual with a backpass – saw City's Gilbert charge down the clearance, with the ball just failing to sneak in at the right post.

The game continued to swing as Elgin, having spurned their share of chances, watched Spartans press again. Keith MacLeod and Omar Kadar linked, with Walker once again the last man in the Spartans chain, but keeper Malin denied him when left one-on-one.

City tried the route-one option, with Mark Nicolson sending one over the top from Malin's punch out, but Elgin striker Kenny Wright found the combined efforts of Flockhart and Dan Gerrard did enough to stifle his attempt at breaking the deadlock before the break.

Wright appeared at the second half minus his new pink boots, but showed a clean pair of heels to the Spartans defence as he crafted a goalon 52 minutes. Collecting the ball in the middle of the park, he shrugged off the first challenge, skipped past two defenders and rifled in a shot from the edge of the box.

Spartans had the chance for a quick counter, as their constant menace Walker beat the offside trap, beat Joe Malin, but David Niven was on hand to clear from the face of the Elgin goalmouth. Spartans continued to stretch Elgin with Donal Henretty crossing for Omar Kader. Aided by defenders Kerr and Niven midair collision he was given time to shoot but Malin was down well to save.

On 63 minutes Mark Nicolson towered above the Spartans defence for City's second. An Ally MacDonald corner picked out the defender to ease Elgin's nerves after a tense spell for the home side.

Both sides were reduced to 10-men on 73 minutes, a straight red for City goal-scorer Kenny Wright and a second-booking for Spartans Alex King. Referee Colin Brown blew for a foul and a melee of players pitched in following the decision.

Donal Henretty pulled one back for Spartans on 83 minutes as O'Donnell came close with the initial effort from Fowlie's corner, but Henretty cracked an angled drive spinning into the top right of Malin's goal.

The threat of Nicky Walker was finally quelled on 88 minutes as the Spartans frontman was carried from the field, but replacement Dean Hoskins struck the sidenet with his first touch from Daryl Devlin's cutback.

Hoskins looked well placed for a stoppage time leveller as a cross came from the right, but it was defender Danny O'Donnell who got his head to it. With the ball creeping towards the right post, man-of-the-match Malin flicked out a hand to turn it away for a corner.

Spartans failed to profit from the resultant cross and the clearance put the final nail in the hopes of the East of Scotland Premier side.