Elgin City beaten by Championship opposition in new boss’ first game

Raith Rovers 3 Elgin City 1: Stefan Laird era begins with League Cup defeat Elgin City’s 2026-27 campaign started with a 3-1 defeat against Championship opposition. The Black and Whites were big underdogs heading into today’s League Cup group stage clash with Raith Rovers in Kirkcaldy. The Fifers, who had home advantage at Stark’s Park, are two divisions above City in the SPFL. The hosts were ahead just before the half hour mark when Morgyn Neill put into his own net, and doubled their advantage shortly before half-time courtesy of Kai Montagu. Elgin did bite back after half-time in manager Stefan Laird’s first competitive game in charge as Oliver Colloty, teed up by Russell Dingwall, halved the deficit on 62 minutes. But Raith moved back into a two-goal lead 10 minutes later when Ross Millen, who signed from Inverness Caley Thistle this summer, made it 3-1. In Group H’s other game, Hamilton were 1-0 victors at Peterhead thanks to a Cian Newbury strike on 33 minutes. City host Peterhead at Borough Briggs on Tuesday night, before welcoming Premiership side Kilmarnock to Elgin on Saturday. Their final group match is at Hamilton on July 25, with League Two getting underway on August 1 against Edinburgh City in the capital.