THERE were 68 minutes on the clock when big Andy Munro took out a large needle and pricked Elgin’s balloon, inflated full of early season optimism. Even before the Stenhousemuir captain had slammed the ball inside the post, the home side had struggled at both ends.

Before Saturday’s 1-0 defeat, however, Elgin had amassed four points from their opening two league fixtures, put in a decent showing in their Betfred Cup group and navigated their way to the third round of the Tunnock’s Caramel Wafer Cup courtesy of two goal-laden ties.

For much of the season so far, Shane Sutherland has bullied and bewildered central defenders. Elgin’s seemingly unrequited lover has netted nine times already this season, the same number as Sam Cosgrove and Alfredo Morelos, after returning to Borough Briggs for a fourth spell.

Before Sutherland’s return, there wasn’t exactly a swell of positivity swirling around the Elgin support after a poor second half to last season saw them slump to an eighth-place finish below Stirling, Queen’s Park and Cowdenbeath. Gavin Price’s side finished above only Albion Rovers, hapless for the majority of the season, and Berwick Rangers, still in a hapless state following their demotion to the Lowland League.

There was even the lingering fear that Elgin’s SPFL status was at risk, with the likes of East Kilbride, Kelty Hearts and East Stirlingshire recruiting less like they’re aiming for promotion from the Lowland League and more like they’re preparing for a tilt at the League One title.

The positivity started again when, in July, Sutherland put pen to paper at Borough Briggs for the fourth time. The reaction from some, including supporters of other clubs, was to point out the various times he’d drawn his dagger and waited for the club to turn its back.

Football fans are a fickle breed, however, and when Sutherland began banging the goals, his previous jilting was all but forgotten.

The striker’s return has also brought out the best in Kane Hester who has netted six times this season, including a midweek hat-trick in the 5-4 victory over Brechin.

A potent strike duo coupled with a leaky defence means that Elgin have been the entertainers of the SPFL so far this campaign – much like their black and white cousins Newcastle under Kevin Keegan in the mid-1990s. You score three, we’ll score four. You score four, we’ll score five.

Before Saturday’s match, Elgin had netted 20 goals and conceded 15 in their first eight matches of the season – an average of more than four goals per game. Even their preseason friendlies produced a 5-2, a 4-3 and an 11-2.

Alas, for those in attendance, Saturday’s match did not follow that trend. Sutherland was kept quiet by a resolute Stenhousemuir back three.

All he could muster in the opening 45 was to slip in Hester for a good chance, while in the second half he grew a frustrated figure as he tried to do too much on his own.

Hester was presented with few chances but seemed to get everything woefully wrong in front of goal when he did.

Most sides would struggle with the star strike duo misfiring and, after a promising start, Saturday’s defeat can at this point be put down as merely a bad day at the office against a side harbouring ambitions of an immediate return to League One. It is just Elgin’s third defeat of the season, the first two coming against sides from the top two divisions.

Moreover, Elgin have a number of key players to return. Darryl McHardy, who was being trialled in midfield before his injury, and Bryan Cameron will improve the starting XI, while Conor O’Keefe was impressive on the wing before succumbing to injury in the game at Easter Road.

To add to their injury woes, Daniel Mackay – seen as a bit of a coup after his recent loan move from Inverness – was taken off in the first half against Stenhousemuir after looking the most likely to create something.

A speedy recovery from the quartet and a return to form from their strike duo and Elgin will be in with a decent shout of promotion to the third tier for the first time since their entry to the SPFL in 2000.