MATCH STATS
Lowland League side in Whitehill Welfare to reach this stage but in an inconsistent campaign travelled south following home defeats to Berwick and Clyde, with seven goals conceded in the process.
Maybe if the students had scored first it would have been a different game but City had too much quality in the final third and the result was a big boost ahead of this weekend’s return visit to Forthbank to play Stirling Albion in Ladbrokes League 2.
Elgin took the lead in nine minutes with a goal on the break after Aidan Ferris had a good effort blocked at the other end. The impressive Shane Sutherland sent Omar clear and the former Annan winger ran clear to beat ex–Brora keeper John Allan with a composed finish.
It was a goal to ease any Elgin nerves and they were soon celebrating again. Sutherland, who missed more than half of last season with a serious injury, is a class act at this level and was proving difficult to pin down as he dropped deep to get on the ball. This time Cameron was the beneficiary of his assist and the midfielder guided a well placed shot beyond Allan.
To their credit, the students hung in there and had some decent spells as the half wore on but how they could have done with someone like head coach Geddes in his prime. The former Brechin forward has netted more than 170 goals for the university and could conjure up a goal out of nothing.
The students – who included ex-Albion striker Lewis Bonar and Craig Brown, the grandson of the former Scotland manager – started the second half on the front foot and a wonderful ball in from the left flank by Blair Lyons was crying out for a taker but there were none.
Elgin were always more incisive and every attack carried menace. When the ball broke to Kerr Hay at the edge of the box with the game approaching the hour mark, he side– stepped a defender and swept a shot past Allan.
Allan saved well from Chris McLeish and the striker had an effort cleared off the line by Angus Mailer, by which time Elgin had bagged a fourth goal.
It was a moment to remember for teenager Loveland, who headed home a cross from left-back Jordan Lowdon on his debut.
Stirling were out but they had given their all and the memories created during their Scottish Cup run of 2018/19 are likely to linger for some time. Stirling University: Allan, Slattery, Mailer, Burrows, McGuire (Emmott 66), Hunter, MacEwan (Hall 60), Brown (Baber 76), Ferris, Bonar, Lyons. Subs (not used): Miller, Webb, McGale, Walker (GK).
It was a moment to remember for teenager Loveland, who headed home a cross on his debut.
Elgin City: McHale, Cooper (Loveland 73), Lowdon, McHardy, Beattie, Omar (Miller 67), Cameron, Hay (Wilson 62), Morrison, Sutherland, McLeish. Subs (not used): Farquhar, Bronsky, Byrne, Dunn (GK).
Scorers: Omar 9, Cameron 14, Hay 58, Loveland 80
Referee: Barry Cook