It must be hard to retain players when you ended the season at the bottom of the Third Division.

Ross O'Donoghue has decided not to accept a new contract offer from Elgin City but will play in the Second Division instead as he has signed for Third Division champions Dumbarton. Former Aberdeen youth player O'Donoghue spent two seasons at Borough Briggs but opted for the easy promotion step after Elgin finished bottom of the Third Division. The Moray club's captain O'Donoghue follows Craig Campbell, Steven Mackay and Ally Ridgers out of Borough Briggs with the latter three all joining Nairn County. Elgin manager Ross Jack is hard at work finding replacements and has thrown the gauntlet down to Darren Shallicker and Kenny Wright to get fully fit in order to win new deals.

Jack said: "I am disappointed but I wish Ross all the best. Dumbarton are a division above us and he is an ambitious man who wants to play at a higher level. I had hoped maybe over the next couple of years he could have taken Elgin along with him up to that level but I fully understand his decision. The likes of Steven Mackay and Craig Campbell have travelled a while now with Elgin in the league. They thought it was too much and they have gone to Nairn, whether it was financial or otherwise. I am well down the road to replacing the players that have left. I want to promote youth at the club but the young players will not play every game and I have others in the pipeline to bring in."

Elgin are already back from their short break and pre-season training started last week. Jack is encouraged with the response from his north-based players. He said: "We had 30 in last Saturday which included a few from our under-17 and under-19 teams as well as our first-team players and a few trialists. I am delighted with the numbers and the commitment of the players."

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