Momentum and confidence are crucial when it comes to football and determining which direction a team is going in.
When a team is on a winning streak, the momentum rolls from one weekend into the next.
And, when a team is on a losing run, it feels like a real challenge to try to stop the rot.
Stranraer make the long trip north to Elgin on Saturday looking to keep their own unbeaten run going and halt Elgin’s own impressive form.
Robbie Mutch was looking forward to the game and, potentially, getting involved once again.
He said: “Good results breeds good results.
“Games of football are difficult and if you look at any league in this country then there are not many teams that have strung good results together.
“Three, four, five wins or draws, games unbeaten, is a difficult thing to do.
“The new management team has come in and that’s three positive results from three games.
“It stands us in good stead for this weekend’s game.”
The on-loan goalkeeper is looking to get back into the Stranraer starting lineup after missing last Friday night’s memorable Scottish Cup win over Threave Rovers.
His move to Stranraer came as he stepped up his return from injury and looked to get himself game time.
Reserve games with Ayr were cancelled and a last-minute loan move to Stranraer was sealed.
He said: “I got injured in the middle of February.
“The timing was a bit rubbish because I got in the team at Ayr under the new manager.
“I got my opportunity in the Scottish Cup away to Rangers.
“The next week, I stayed in the team for the league game and that was the game I got injured in.
“I just made a save and something made a crunching noise that did not feel right in my shoulder.
“I made the save, got up, flung myself at the rebound, which they scored, and I stayed down and my shoulder was not feeling great.
“The physio came on and said I needed to come off and my shoulder was not right.
“After about five or six days, it was still crunching and crackling.
“I needed to get a scan and the scan showed the extent of the damage and it was in a bit of a mess.
“An operation was needed and it was six months after the operation, that’s what the surgeon said was the timeline, and he was bang on with his assessment.”
Despite not being able to play at Meadow Park, Mutch was among those cheering on the Blues.
Threave had opened up a 2-0 lead before substitutes Ryan Edgar and Deryn Lang turned the game on its head to send the visitors through.
The 26-year-old, who worked under Stevie Aitken at Dumbarton, stepped in to help warm up Jacob Pazikas and Harry Broun with goalkeeping coach Jim Low having undergone knee surgery.
He said: “The game on Friday was almost a lose-lose situation for Stranraer.
“You win and we were expected to win and you lose and people say it is embarrassing and what not.
“That was a cup final for Threave on Friday night and, obviously, it was a big occasion for the Stranraer boys playing on television.
“They got the job done in the end and it was always going to be a difficult game.”
Previous meeting
The spoils were shared when Elgin City made the long journey south earlier this season.
Both of the goals came in the closing stages but there were plenty of talking points before the deadlock was broken.
Dylan Gavin stung the palms of Harry Broun with a fierce drive from outside the box and then headed against the crossbar just seconds later. At the other end, Elliot Dunlop was denied when his volley was pushed to safety by Thomas McHale.
Finally, Elgin found a way through in the second half when Jack Murray rose highest to nod home Russell Dingwall’s free-kick.
Stranraer had eight minutes to find a leveller and Scott Robertson got on the end of a fine team move to pull the Blues level.
Stranraer: Broun, Cummins, Ross, Ecrepont, Brindley (McKnight 34), Gallagher, Dunlop (Grant 79), Russell, Hawkshaw (Robertson 79), McIntosh, Edgar (Lang 69).
Not used: Woods, Hughes, Adam and Pazikas.
Elgin City: McHale, Booth, Dolzanski, Murray, Draper, Girvan (Cairns 78), Hyde, Gallagher (Sargent 78), Dingwall, Golding (MacLeman 78), Gavin (McDonald 86).
Not used: MacDonald, Dangana, Allen and Taylor.
Last five meetings
- Stranraer 1 Elgin City 1 (Robertson; Murray) at Stair Park on August 24, 2024
- Stranraer 1 Elgin City 2 (Own goal; Ewan and Jeffreys) at Stair Park on March 16, 2024
- Elgin City 2 Stranraer 1 (Dingwall (Pen) and Harvey (Pen); Lang) at Borough Briggs on January 6, 2024
- Stranraer 3 Elgin City 1 (Forrest (Pen), Grant and Dolan; Jones) at Stair Park on November 4, 2023
- Elgin City 0 Stranraer 1 (Dolan) at Borough Briggs on August 5, 2023
Last five games
Stranraer
- WIN v Threave Rovers (A): 2-3 (Edgar x2 and Lang)
- DRAW v Peterhead (H): 0-0
- WIN v Edinburgh City (A): 1-2 (Russell and Guthrie)
- LOSS v Stirling Albion (H): 0-2
- LOSS v Forfar Athletic (A): 2-1 (Guthrie)
Elgin City
- WIN v Clyde (H): 1-1 (Murray) (Elgin City win 8-7 on penalties)
- WIN v The Spartans (A): 1-3 (Girvan, McDonald and Gavin)
- WIN v Peterhead (A): 0-1 (Dolzanski)
- DRAW v Edinburgh City (H): 3-3 (Dingwall x2 and Cairns)
- DRAW v Clyde (A): 0-0
Last time out
Stranraer
Lineup v Threave Rovers: Pazikas, Cummins (McIntosh 71), Ross, Ecrepont, Reid, Robertson (Lang 58), Gallagher, Dunlop (Hawkshaw 71), Russell, Grant (McQueen 85), Guthrie (Edgar 58).
Not used: McKnight, Brindley and Broun.
Elgin City
Lineup v Clyde: Glavin, Booth, Murray, Girvan, Draper (Cairns 9), Dingwall, Cameron (Sargent 69), Leslie, McDonald (Golding 62), Gallagher, Gavin.
Not used: Fraser, MacLeman, MacDonald and Taylor.
Five facts
1. The last time Stranraer failed to score against Elgin was in October 2009. The visitors to Stair Park won 2-0 that day courtesy of goals from Michael Dunn and Jason Crooks. Twenty-seven meetings between the two sides have taken place since then. The home team that day was: David Mitchell, G Mitchell, Noble, Henderson, Nicoll, Danny Mitchell, Aitken (Jones 80), McGeough (Jack 59), McColm, Moore, Montgomerie. Not used: Wilson, Donald and Wight. The game also proved to be Stevie Aitken’s penultimate appearance at Stair Park, with his last game coming in a 4-1 win over East Stirlingshire the following season.
2. One player who will have more reason than most for wanting an away win is birthday boy Elliot Dunlop. The midfielder, who is on a season-long loan from Airdrie, turns 19 on Saturday.
3. Ryan Edgar scored a double at Meadow Park in the Scottish Cup victory over Threave Rovers last Friday night. However, you need to go back to September 2017 for the last Stranraer player to score a treble on the road. That was Scott Agnew against Albion Rovers, with Paul Woods also finding the net.
4. Goalkeeper Robbie Mutch is from Elgin but has only played one competitive first team game at Borough Briggs. That was more than eight years ago when his Arbroath side won 1-0.
5. Stranraer’s current unbeaten run stretches to three matches. The last time the club made it four games without defeat was at the end of 2020 and into 2021. Those four games were part of an 11-game undefeated run. The final four games were a 4-0 win over Albion Rovers, a 5-0 win over The Spartans, a 2-0 win over Annan Athletic and a 3-2 win over Kelty Hearts.
Admission
Match entry is via the Fanbase app or payment at the turnstiles.
Admission prices are as follows:
- Adult (Stand) – £18 (tickets only available via the home club’s Fanbase app)
- Adult (Ground) – £16
- Concession (Stand) – £12.00 (tickets only available via the home club’s Fanbase app)
- Concession (Ground) – £10.00
- Under 16s – FREE (with a paying adult)
Coverage
We’ll have live matchday updates on X (formerly Twitter) for those not heading to Borough Briggs.
As usual, the manager’s interview will be available on YouTube following the game.
Our own highlights will be available on Sunday, with commentary from Laurence Nelson and Gary Redhead.
Club 1870 subscribers can catch the goals after 10pm on Saturday night, along with full match footage later on Sunday.
Photos: Bill McCandlish
