Match Report - By Match Secretary

BRECHIN City recorded their first opening day victory in seven years in defeating a hard working Stirling Albion side at Glebe Park by two goals to one at Glebe Park.

You have to go back to August 4th 2001 at The Rock Dumbarton, where City defeated The Sons by two goals to one by virtue of goals from Kevin Bain and the team's one surviving player from the present side, Charlie King. Paddy Flannery netted the home side's goal.

And City again showed that they are capable of mounting a challenge at this level once again. At times, especially when Brechin got the ball down on the excellent Glebe surface and passed it.

But Albion also showed they'll be no mugs in this division either and their best spell in the game came either side of half-time.

Brechin had the bulk of possession early in the first half and Gary Twigg hooked an opportunistic effort over the crossbar in City's first raid of the game. Twigg, impressed throughout, linking up well with those around about him and also the promise of a decent partnership with Ian Diack.

Just prior to that, O'Neill had ballooned over for Albion and Nelson had tipped Murphy's speculative 30 yarder over the bar.

Ian Diack and then Kevin Byers "threw" excellent crosses into the box which City failed to take advantage of. However, the goal that City sought arrived in the 39th minute. Darren Smith played the ball to the far post Charlie King headed it back across the face of goal and Gary Twigg, making his league debut, netted his first of what will hopefully be many goals for the club.

Ian Diack then created an opening for himself and cut into the box, but he fired just the wrong side of the post. At the other end, Nelson was called upon for some heroics denying first O'Neill and then Harty with excellent saves.

Albion started the second half better than Brechin, but the manner in which City lost a goal, has been the "talk of the town" all weekend. Davie White saw Harty's second attempt on goal spin off his foot and on to the chest of Craig Nelson who was standing with one leg on the goal line and one in front. Not a single appeal was made for the goal by an Albion player and as play moved on the assistant referee awarded a goal, despite the fact the ball seemed to be a couple of yards in front of the goal line. Davie White and Craig Nelson were both booked for protesting over the decision.

The goal shook Brechin, but they managed to eventually recover their composure and seemed to have weathered Albion's second half storm. However, another bizzare decision angered the home support and once again it was the referee's assistant who took centre stage. Terry Brunton giving an offside decision against Gary Twigg, after the City striker had raced on to a Willie Dyer throw in. The referee was forced to restart the game with a bounce ball.

City continued to probe and Byers showed great close control to get his side a free-kick, but City couldn't take advantage. Then "Janny'" had a chance from another free kick 25 yards out, but the ex-Jambo shot straight at his ex Tynecastle team mate Myles Hogarth.

Richard Walker introduced a bit more pace to the right of the City flank and just when it looked like Brechin would have to settle for a draw. Skipper Smith came up with a bit of magic. Twigg brought the ball down and picked out his skipper on the left-hand side of the Albion box. Darren cut inside his marker and on his supposedly weaker right foot curtled a greal goal beyond Hogarth's reach and into the bottom corner of the net.

Michael O'Neill said: "I felt we could have been more than a goal in front at half time. We played well in spells in the first half and created a few decent chances. However, we never started the second period well and the loss of the goal was annoying, although our players are still adamant that the ball wasn't close to crossing the line.

"We need to show more consistency for 90 minutes and get tighter defensively. However, a lot of positives came out of our performance again today and it is something to work to once again.

"We do have major injury worries for Wednesday at Methil. Wardy, Willie Dyer. Craig Nelson and Gary Twigg all received knocks and at this stage (Saturday) I reckon only one of them might make it.

"We have a couple of players training with us as I have said and it may be that we do something in fixing up one of these later this week after we assess the situation."