The Press and Journal (Inverness, Highlands, and Islands)
No time for City cup regrets
Captain Nicolson warns focus must be improving league place
Elgin City midfielder Mark Nicolson has warned his team-mates they have no time to feel sorry for themselves after Saturday’s extraordinary 5- 4 Scottish Cup replay defeat by junior side Bo’ness United.
The teams had drawn 4-4 at Borough Briggs a week earlier and the replay was another high-scoring affair with the home side emerging victorious by the odd goal in nine.
The Black and Whites have a chance to move off the bottom of the table when they return to league duty this evening with a home match against Annan Athletic.
Barry Wilson’s men have not won in Scottish League 2 since August and Nicolson is desperate to end a dismal spell for his side.
The 26- year- old said: “We are a bit down and low on confidence after Saturday’s match but we just need to regain our composure and concentrate on the league now.
“It is really important we start to do well now. I think it is a good thing we have a match so soon as we want to put want happened on Saturday behind us.
“It is vital we get some more points on the board as quickly as we can because we need to get off the bottom of the league.
“There is obviously the threat the team that finishes bottom can go down so it is a big year.
“We have enough quality in our side to be at the top end of the table and we are confident we can work our way out of it.”
With 13 goals conceded in their previous three matches, Nicolson knows his side’s defensive deficiencies must be tackled if they are to return to winning ways.
He added: “It is difficult to say why we have been conceding so many goals. Atthe start of the season we were defending really well, but couldn’t score goals.
“Now we are scoring goals but not defending as well as we can.
“We just need to find that balance. Bo’ness United had a lot of pace up front which caused us a bit of bother.
“We want to keep doing what we are doing in attack but we know we need to stop so many going in at the other end.”
Defender Marvin Andrews
“We just need to regain our composure and concentrate on the league now”
may miss the match through injury, while Ali MacKenzie remains out with a knee complaint.
Manager Wilson wants his players to embrace the opportunity to return to action so soon after Saturday’s defeat.
He said: “When I was a player I always wanted to get out and play again quickly after a bad result and hopefully the players feel the same way.
“We have an immediate opportunity to make amends by defeating Annan and moving off bottom spot.”