Three goals in the first few minutes were enough to give Elgin City a comfortable victory over basement boys East Stirlingshire at Borough Briggs this afternoon.
City's top scorer Martin Johnstone, signed from Highland League side Cove Rangers in the summer, took just two minutes to get off the mark. A neat interchange between Chris Gardiner and Johnstone saw the latter run into the box before placing the ball past Derek Jackson.
Four minutes later the City front two were causing havoc again with this time Gardiner on the end of the move, but his shot on the stretch scraped narrowly past the post.
Despite being in the unfamiliar surroundings of left- back, Fraser Bremner raced forward from his own half to win a throw-in high up the field. He took the throw to Gardiner who picked out Johnstone, who poked it into the bottom corner to make it 2-0 with nine minutes gone.
East Stirlingshire recorded a rare shot on goals as the match continued at a frantic pace but Mark Molloy's effort hardly troubled Kieron Renton in the City goal.
Elgin were on easy street in the 12th minute as they made it three. The cultured left foot of former Blackburn Rovers youth player Adam Nelson swung in a free-kick which was met by Paul Kaczan, and his glancing header found the bottom corner of the net.
Johnstone could have completed a first-half hat-trick in the 17th minute, but the East Stirling custodian was up to the task on this occasion and strongly palmed away the big striker's effort. Jamie Mackenzie was next to be presented with an opening, but the former caretaker-manager was left red faced as he sliced his shot out for a throw-in.
East Stirling's Alan Patrick nearly pulled a goal back midway through the first half after a neat touch when he attempted to lob Renton. However, he failed to get enough dip on the ball and a goal-kick was the outcome.
Elgin now sit three points off the play-offs with a game in hand as they prepare to make the trip to Cowdenbeath on Tuesday night.