Match Report - By Keith Johnston

DESPITE coming back from a goal down, Brechin were denied a seventh straight victory with an 89th minute leveller for the home side, which on the balance of play, was just about deserved.

City stuck with the same eleven which had brushed aside the challenge of Forfar Athletic the previous Saturday and the visitors almost got off to a dream start inside five minutes when Graham Gibson crashed a header, which rebounded agonisingly off the crossbar.

The game swung from end to end, Brechin, looking an effective unit on the occasions the ball was on the ground, while Alloa favour a more direct approach – hardly surprising with ex-Dumbarton man, Andy Brown leading the line.

Brown has often been the scourge of the City and so it proved again, following a spell where the Wasps forced a couple of corners. Brown rose to beat Craig Nelson to Jamie Stevenson’s flag-kick at the near post.

The game struggle to get any fluency whatsoever and it certainly wasn’t helped by the often needless interjections of official Cammy Melville, who infuriated both sides getting himself involved in making decisions, when it would have been better to let the game flow.

City battled their way back into the game and Byers was prominent in most of their positive approach work and Winter contributed another great shift in the engine room. But it was the irrepressible Paul Ritchie who restored the status quo on the stroke of half-time. The veteran chased a seemingly hopeful ball into the right-hand side of the penalty area and fired a low drive beyond the reach of Gary McGlynn.

City enjoyed a better opening period in the second half. Byers’ great run and cross should have brought greater reward, then a magnificent Gibson run and cross from the right, was only inches from the head of Templeman with the goal at his mercy.

Templeman was not to outdone however and he held of the challenge of a defender before firing a low drive past McGlynn to hand City the lead.

This was now a crucial period of the game and one in which Brechin were on top in, but despite Hampshire, Templeman, Ritchie and then Templeman again from under the crossbar going close, the third goal, which would have brought the three points never arrived.

Alloa had a goal chalked off for a push at a free-kick, but Brechin felt that was the game won. It wasn’t to be.

Instead, when it looked like 2-1 would do it, sub Roddy Black failed to cut out a cross from the right and Andy Brown, who was unmarked at the far post headed back across goal for Stuart Callaghan to hammer in well-struck leveller.

City have always enjoyed mixed fortunes at Recreation Park and while disappointing to drop two points, a point on the road is never a bad thing in the cut-throat environment of division two.

City officials are hopeful that the top of the table clash in against Stranraer on Saturday will result in a big turn out of local football fans. As City look to peg back the Blues’ four-point lead at the top.

Other Results - Bell's League Division 2

Berwick Rangers 0 Stirling Albion 1

A Scott McLean penalty is enough for Stirling to see off Berwick.

Forfar Athletic 0 Dumbarton 2

Good result for the Sons at Station Park.

Morton 0 Ayr United 1

Morton's inconsistent form continues as Ayr win at Cappielow.

Stranraer 2 Arbroath 1

A late David Graham goal gives Stranraer the win. They move 4 points clear at the top.