Elgin City manager Allan Hale assesses his team’s victory over East Fife in the opening League 2 match of the 2024-25 season.
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00:00Perfect start to the League 2 season, a 4-2 win against East Reich, you must be delighted.
00:04Yeah, absolutely over the moon. I thought the players were, for most parts of the game, I thought they were outstanding today.
00:11Everything I want to see, everything that we've worked on, the message that we've given them over the last four or five weeks since we've come back into pre-season.
00:19If you could ask for a better start, I think I would have probably written one to be fair.
00:26We had the wee wobble at 3-2 when I got the two goals back. The first goal for them I thought was a nice standing header.
00:34Couldn't have placed it any better. Then the second goal, we've had a couple of opportunities to just get a bit more distance from the clearance and it's came back in.
00:41But in years gone by, and probably last season as well, to be fair, I think had we had that cushion and then they brought the goals back,
00:49the most we would have got would have been a point out of the game, I think, had that happened last season.
00:54So it was really pleasing for me that we didn't allow that to affect them because we made a wee switch tactically as well because we just felt that they were playing that diagonals,
01:04trying to get the overload in the wide areas and then we were just getting across the pitch quickly enough.
01:10So we just kind of put an extra midfielder in there just to make sure that we could cover the distance and that settled us down because they stopped getting the joy that they were getting.
01:19They didn't get the third man across to put the crosses in the box, which was causing us a bit of problems.
01:24And then on the breakaway, we just knew that there was going to be a chance there. We said to ourselves when they came on that the game's open.
01:32So, you know, a play in our hands and we've just got to make sure that we attack the space.
01:36Delighted for Sarge because it's a really instinctive finish and it shows his quality because he knows where the goal is.
01:42He has a wee glance, you know, and couldn't have striked the ball any better.
01:46And it just relieves that pressure. And then again, management at that point was really good.
01:49So East Fife are a great team, really, really good. They're going to be right up there, I think, this season.
01:56But today we also showed that we're a really good team as well.
01:59And I only found out about that start just two days ago.
02:02And look, those little things don't concern me because, you know, we kind of control the past.
02:09We kind of control what's happened, you know, six months ago, two years ago.
02:13That doesn't matter. You know, it's gone. It's about what we do.
02:16And, you know, we can only control the next game. That's the only thing that we can control.
02:22So we don't focus too much on those things. That's for people like yourself to write about and say those things.
02:27We've just got to focus on, you know, the work that we're putting in, refining the work, you know, on a week-to-week basis on things that we see.
02:33Just try to get the group believing in themselves and playing with a spirit.
02:36And you saw that today in an abundance. I thought the spirit of the team was outstanding.
02:41We were aggressive, you know, we're no soft touch.
02:43And I think that's labelled at the Selgin team sometimes, that we can be a soft touch.
02:48And I think the game that actually rings true would be, you know, when we went away from home, East Fife, towards the tail end of last season.
02:54And, you know, I think that was labelled at us a wee bit after the game.
02:59It's important that we're able to do the other side of the game because it's League Two.
03:04You know, it's very physical, very aggressive, dictated by turnovers and second balls.
03:10And today we managed that side of the game, I thought, really, really well.
03:13But if you look at first half, you saw that we can create chances with controlled possession in that first goal.
03:19If that was on the TV, you would see people speaking about that for days afterwards because it was a brilliant goal.
03:25I can't remember how many passes, but switch of play, through the line, great delivery and great desire from Kyle to go and attack.
03:31And then the second half, we were getting chances on the counter.
03:34Sitting in, absorbing a bit of pressure and then hitting on the break.
03:37So that was really pleasing because it shows that we've got that capability to do both aspects, which you need to do, you know, to be at the right end of the table.
03:45We're not going to carry it away.
03:46Plenty of things still to work on.
03:48But, you know, it was a really good team performance and I thought the crowd were outstanding today.
03:53Really got behind the team.
03:54And, you know, when Borough Briggs has got that atmosphere, it can be a really intimidating place for opposition and we made that the case.
04:01Jack Murray's first SPFL game gets a goal there, as he does so often.
04:05Did it for Bucky Thistle and how the league shows he can do it in league football as well.
04:09Outstanding player.
04:10I've been really, really impressed with him since he's come in.
04:13He's just got that ability to step into midfield and make really good decisions from that deeper position.
04:20I thought he's good with short, medium, long range passes.
04:23Dominant in the air.
04:24Attacks things in both boxes.
04:26But the thing that's pleased me the most about him is that he comes across as a quite quiet and reserving lad, but he's not.
04:32He demands standard.
04:33He's a winner.
04:34He's used to winning.
04:35And those characters are really important in the dressing room for trying to get away from, you know, what's been labelled at the club in years gone by.
04:42And, you know, there's a good mentality about the place.
04:44There's a good spirit.
04:46I thought he capped a really, really strong performance today.
04:49So, yeah, delighted for him.
04:50But, you know, I don't want to single anyone out because the whole team deserves so much credit.
04:54And, yeah, as I said, it was a good start.