Scorers: Stranraer – Forrest (Pen 4), Grant (27) and Dolan (46); Elgin City – Jones (76)
A sparkling first half performance helped Stranraer sweep aside rock bottom Elgin City at Stair Park.
The Blues, fresh off their win over Civil Service Strollers in the Scottish Cup, welcomed their long-travelled visitors hoping to get their League Two campaign back on track after five consecutive losses.
Elgin also wanted to get things back on the correct path after a headline-grabbing 6-0 defeat to East of Scotland Football League side Jeanfield Swifts.
A nightmare first half saw Elgin four goals down at the break in Perth, with the first goal coming on just three minutes.
The scores were blank for just a few moments longer at Stair Park as Stranraer were awarded a penalty on three minutes.
Connall Ewan was punished for a push on Craig Ross in the box and Dylan Forrest confidently fired home his first of the season on four minutes.
It was a goal which clearly inspired Stranraer and they were well on top for the vast majority of the first half.
Indeed, it took a super save from debutant Kyle King to keep out a James Dolan rocket on 21 minutes.
The wideman cut in from the left and blasted towards goal from just outside the box.
The shot looked destined for the top corner before King’s fingertips took it onto the crossbar and out for a corner.
Dean Hawkshaw then came close with a diving header before Stranraer doubled their advantage.
Matty Grant has been a welcome return for the home side in recent weeks and he somehow found space in a crowded box before sliding the ball under King from a tight angle.
Five minutes before the break and Stranraer could have been toasting a goal of the season contender.
Ben Armour chased down an attempted clearance and a sprinting Grant chested the ball before catching it flush on the volley from outside the box, only for the shot to drop wide of the upright.
Scott Agnew would likely have warned his team about giving Elgin any signs of encouragement at the beginning of the second half and his side took those words to heart.
Barely 50 seconds of the second half had been played when they stretched their lead further.
The visiting defence failed to deal with a Sean McIntosh cross and Dolan smashed a volley beyond a helpless King.
Elgin introduced former Stranraer man Robert Jones early in the second half in a bid to get back into the tie and he forced their first effort on target with a looping header on 53 minutes.
That third goal had allowed Stranraer to ease their foot off the accelerator pedal and Elgin were creating little with a Ryan McLeman free-kick about the best they could muster before the 70th minute.
However, they were given a slight bit of hope with just under 15 minutes left.
McLeman whipped in a corner and Jones got across his man and glanced a header beyond a previously untested Lewis Budinauckas.
Elgin pushed men forward in a bid to try to salvage something from the game but the home defence held on relatively comfortably for the remaining 15 minutes or so.
Stranraer: Budinauckas, McIntosh, Ross, Girvan, Williamson, Forrest (Strachan 61), Robertson, Grant (McDonald 61), Hawkshaw (Walker 73), Dolan (Orr 77), Armour (Lang 77).
Not used: Sneddon and Downie.
Elgin City: King, Cairns, Dolzanski, Ewan, McKenzie (Jones 49), Draper (MacInnes 69), Harvey (Cruickshank 69), MacEwan, McLeman, Taylor (Barron 86), Cameron.
Not used: Cooper, Cooney and McHale.
Referee: Lloyd Wilson
Attendance: 283
HT: 2-0
Photos: Bill McCandlish
