Match Report - By Steven Mew

Brechin were cruelly denied by the woodwork and failed to turn the lion’s share of possession into goals as they went down by two goals to one at Somerset Park.

It wasn’t a case of Brechin being denied a point. Given the amount of opportunities they created and the way City passed the ball through midfield, they were unfortunate not to leave with all three.

Stuart Callaghan was missing from the City line-up. His place went to Neil Janczyk. That was the only change in the starting line-up from the side which had defeated Queen’s Park.

Ayr’s best spell of possession came in the first 10 minutes. During this period they created nothing, but did retain possession. As soon as Darren Smith won his first tackle in the heart of the City midfield, Brechin were on top.

Darren Gribben threatened after he cut in from the left flank and tested Mark McGeown in the home goal. Then Charlie King beat two defenders on the left flank, after linking up with Willie Dyer, but fired narrowly past the post.

At this point it looked like only a matter of time before City took the lead and they went agonisingly close again through the industry of their hard-working skipper. Smith picked the ball up 30 yards out and evaded a challenge or two, but his net-bound effort from 20 yards was cruelly deflected over the crossbar with the goalkeeper beaten.

Gribben then made good progress on the right and cut inside Eddie Forrest, but chose to go for goal with Johnston waiting on a cross at the far post and McGeown once again came to his side’s rescue.

Ayr weren’t at the races, yet they stunned the visitors with a brilliantly struck goal from fully 30 yards. Ironically, their first shot on target in the match after 34 minutes. Former St Johnstone man, Ryan Stevenson, let fly and the ball swerved wickedly and gave Nelson no chance.

The goal gave Ayr confidence and City temporarily went to sleep. Jerome Vareille should have done better with a far post cross. But those two chances were all the home side mustered in the entire first 45 minutes.

Ayr scored with goal attempt number three five minutes after half-time and even it had a touch of misfortune about it from a City perspective. Davie White in attempting to thump clear a David Dunn corner, saw it deflect of the chest of an Ayr attacker straight to Steven Swift who hammered home Ayr’s second.

Rather than throwing in the towel, City laid siege to the home goal once again. Yet they continued to have “one of those days”. First the hugely impressive Smith burst through the heart of the Ayr defence, evaded a couple of tackles and struck a sweet left-foot drive that seemed destined to bring his side back into the game. The ball rebounded off the underside of the crossbar, yet rather than go over the line, it came back to be hooked clear.

City were denied by the wood work again following a great run up the left from Willie Dyer, that won his side a corner. Charlie King picked out Martin Johnston and the striker made a good connection, only for his header to rebound off the bar.

Charlie King eventually through his side a lifeline with eight minutes remaining with a well-taken goal, that looked like was never going to arrive. King struck an excellent drive from the left-hand side of the box from 18 yards.

Ayr continued to creak in the closing stages and City through on subs Richard Walker and Chris Geddes for David Murie and Kevin Byers.

Even at this late stage of the game, a point didn’t look beyond Brechin. However, they were once again cruelly denied in the second minute of injury time. Man of the Match Willie Dyer made ground on the left and crossed in a high ball which McGeown completely misjudged. The ball bounced over the goalkeeper’s head and was heading into the net, only for Chris Robertson to slide in to hook the ball off the goal-line.

Once again City were denied a point. To be honest given what the visitors had put into the game. They deserved all three.

Willie Dyer had an outstanding game at left-back and Darren Smith led by example in the middle of the park. But once again, missed chances cost the reds dearly.

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Cowdenbeath 0 Peterhead 2

Injury blighted Cowden go down to Peterhead.

Ross County 1 Queen's Park 1

Leaders held at home by the Spiders.