Elgin 0-1 Stenhousemuir: Munro strike give Warriors first league win

A tough match lay in wait for the Warriors against a side which had scored 20 goals in their opening eight league and cup games, bolstered by the deadly strike partnership of Shane Sutherland and Kane Hester.

Clearcut openings were at a premium but Mark McGuigan was presented with a golden chance on 20 minutes which uncharacteristically he failed to take. Liam Scullion sent a cross over from deep on the right and a poor clearance by Elgin centre back Stephen Bronsky scooped the ball right into the path of McGuigan six yards from goal, but his first-time effort was too close to McHale allowing the keeper to make a block.

From the resulting corner by Cook, Kieran Anderson launched himself at an overhead kick which flashed wide of the target.

Hester was then booked for a lunge on David Marsh, but City began to cause trouble for the visitors and their front two combined on the half hour as Sutherland slotted in Hester for an angled drive which fell short of Graeme Smith’s near post.

Stenny skipper Andy Munro was next in referee Craig Napier’s book for a high challenge on Daniel Mackay. MacKay was to have his afternoon cut short by bad injury, going down in agony before half time and being stretchered off with what later transpired to be a broken ankle sustained in a 50-50 challenge.

The impressive Jamie McKernon missed the goal with a 30 yarder right at the end of a first half which Stenhousemuir had held the upper hand in.

McGuigan fired across the goalmouth without any takers during the early minutes of the second half, and the striker was then inches away from connecting with one of many tempting balls put in from the left side by the industrious Cook.

Elgin nearly nabbed the opener at the other end when Sutherland worked the ball to full back David Wilson, who broke to the by-line and cut it back for midfielder Rory MacEwan to fire through a crowded goalmouth and just wide of the left hand post.

Stenny were upping the ante and deservedly got their goal in the 68th minute.

The home side failed to clear their lines at a setpiece and when Dylan Dykes managed to head the ball back into the path of Munro, the defender cracked in a shot which took a couple of ricochets and found its way just inside the right hand post.

Elgin chased an equaliser and centre back Bronsky had a firm shot from a Dingwall corner deflected just past. From the kick, fellow stopper McDonald controlled the ball at the back post and worked space for himself to fire in a shot which found the side netting.

In the final minute of regulation time Elgin spurned a chance to level, again from an incisive Sutherland cross which this time located strike partner Hester in front of goal but he couldn’t direct the ball forward and his misjudged attempt was eventually cleared by the away defence.

Stenhousemuir: Smith, A.Munro, Marsh, McLaughlin, Scullion (O’Neill 58), Dykes, Gibbons (Halleran 80), McKernon, Cook, McGuigan, Anderson (Watters 67). Subs: M.Munro, Marley.