By Connor Ryan
Albion Rovers starting XI: 1. Jack Leighfield 2. Adam Fernie 3. Ewan Wilson 4. Ayrton Sonkur 5. Luke Graham 6. Kyle Fleming 8. Jamie Leslie 12. Lewis Kidd 7. Callum Wilson 11. Charlie Reilly 10. Michael Paton
Subs: 9. Scott Roberts (replaced Lewis Kidd on 65’) 14. Amaury Testa 15. Devan McColl 16. Barry Duncan (replaced Kyle Fleming on 84’) 17. Christopher Smith 18. Kieran Dolan 19. Max Wright (replaced Adam Fernie on 84’) 21. Liam Fagan (replaced Jamie Leslie on 84’)
Elgin City starting XI: 1. Daniel Hoban 2. Owen Cairns 5. Jake Dolzanski 6. Ross Draper 3. Lewis Nicolson 10. Dylan Lawrence 7. Russell Dingwall 11. Rory MacEwan 4. Darryl McHardy 8. Angus Mailer 9. Kane Hester
Subs: 12. Finn Allan (replaced Lewis Nicolson on 90’) 14. Jevan Andersen (replaced Kane Hester on 90’) 15. Greig Young (replaced Darryl McHardy on 62’) 16. Kenny MacIness 17. Christian Antoniazzi (replaced Dylan Lawrence on 58’) 18. Aidan Sopel 19. Tom Findlay (replaced Rory MacEwan on 58’) 21. Tom McHale
Despite a dominant performance, Albion Rovers were unluckily beaten by an in-form Elgin City side under the lights at Borough Briggs.
A goal with 15 minutes to play from Jake Dolzanski who managed to convert a Russell Dingwall corner was enough to give Rovers their 6th league defeat of the season.
It would be Rovers who would get the first chance of the game just three minutes in as Ayrton Sonkur’s effort from a corner was headed high and wide.
Rovers next chances would arrive 20 minutes later as Lewis Kidd would see two efforts in two minutes being blocked and saved respectively from inside the box.
Luke Graham would be the first Rovers player to go into the book in the 27th minute. Elgin would their best chance of the half in the same minute as Kane Hester would see his effort saved by Jack Leighfield following a well-worked free kick routine.
Rovers last chances of the first half would come just after each other in the dying stages with attempts from Callum Wilson and Jamie Leslie being blocked and struck over the bar respectively.
Despite having more chances and seeing more of the ball in the first half, Rovers sadly couldn’t find themselves on the scoresheet.
Elgin City would be the ones to have the first chance of the second half as a strike from Elgin’s danger man Kane Hester in the 49th minute was saved by Leighfield.
A second booking for Rovers would come with just under half an hour to play as Ayrton Sonkur would go into the referee’s book for a foul.
The first substitution for Rovers would come in the 65th minute as Lewis Kidd was forced off through injury and replaced by Scott Roberts, giving Rovers a change in attacking options.
Despite Rovers pushing for a winner, it would be Elgin City to take the lead in the 75th minute as Jake Dolzanski;s header from a Russell Dingwall corner was headed high into the net, putting Elgin 1-0 up.
A further double substitution would be made by Rovers with five minutes to play as Jamie Leslie and Adam Fernie would make way for Liam Fagan and Max Wright, with Fagan making his first substitute appearance for the first team.
Barry Duncan would then also be brought on a minute later to replace Kyle Fleming in the midfield.
Rovers would see a couple more chances in the last minutes of the game but none being good enough to prevent Daniel Hoban from keeping a clean sheet, thus giving Elgin a 1-0 win on the night.
Goal scorers: Jake Dolzanski
Bookings: Ayrton Sonkur (yellow) Luke Graham (yellow) Ross Draper (yellow) Lewis Nicolson (yellow) Russell Dingwall (yellow) Christian Antoniazzi (yellow)
Referee: Greg Soutar
Attendance: 439
