Match Report - By Keith Johnston

Good work by the ground staff and helpers combined with the favourable weather conditions ensured that today’s local derby between Forfar and Brechin went ahead. The match was Brian Fairley’s first in charge of the Station Park club, something which would have lifted their players. Dick Campbell’s side, meanwhile, were unbeaten since early September.

Brechin got off to a fantastic start, taking the lead in the sixth minute. Scott Walker spotted a good run by Steve Hampshire and picked him out with a long ball over the top of the defence. Hamps controlled and took his time before slotting the ball past Michael Brown from 10 yards out.
Forfar responded quickly and had the ball in the net two minutes later, but Paul Tosh was denied by the offside flag.
The home side continued to search for a quick equaliser and should have got it in the 9th minute. Rattray flicked a pass towards McClune who was one on one with Craig Nelson, but City’s keeper came out and made a good block. Moments later there was almost a carbon copy of McClune’s chance with Paul Shields denied by Nelson in similar fashion. Brechin were looking a bit disorganised at the back and had their goalkeeper to thank for still having the lead.
On the quarter hour mark Paul Tosh somehow spurned a glorious opportunity to draw his side level. A high cross was misjudged by Nelson – the strong wind may have been a factor – who could only parry the ball down. It landed at the feet of Tosher who somehow blasted his shot all the way across goal and wide with pretty much the entire goal at his mercy.
Brechin weathered the home side’s storm and almost scored a second on the break in the 18th minute. Charlie King got away from Alan Rattray on the halfway line and ran all the way into the Forfar box but his final shot was weak and easily saved by Brown. For a moment Brechin had a 3 on 2 situation which they could maybe have exploited a bit better.
Paul Tosh seemed determined not to score as he missed another great opportunity in the 20th minute. Paul Shields picked him out at the far post with Brechin’s defence stretched, but he lost his footing at the vital moment allowing City to recover.
With 35 minutes on the clock, Brechin had two similar chances in quick succession to double their advantage. First, a great cross by Steve Hamilton found its way, wind-assisted, to Charlie King at the far post but he could only find the side-netting. Then, moments later, Steve Hampshire was the provider for King, but Brown was on hand to save.
At the other end, Craig Nelson showed good handling to keep out a low Paul Shields shot from 25 yards that bounced awkwardly in front of him.
But Forfar weren’t to be denied their first half equaliser. Initially, Scott Walker slipped allowing Shields in, but Nelson denied him. Play continued and the ball was hopefully launched into the Brechin box. All of City’s defenders missed it and Paul Tosh nipped in between them to loop a header over Craig Nelson and in. He had missed a few chances prior to his goal, but made amends this time with a good finish. On the balance of play, 1-1 was probably a fair score at the interval.

The second half was a bit of a scrappy affair with lots of fouls and an element of referee Brines not letting the game flow.
Eight minutes into the half, Brechin took the lead for the second time in the game. A clearance was scuffed to the feet of Charlie King who looked up and picked out Paul Ritchie in the box. The veteran striker’s header was inch perfect, nestling in the bottom corner of the net.
City tried to press home their advantage a couple of minutes later when Paul Deas’ cross fell to Craig Winter at the edge of the box, but his effort went well wide.
Jay Stein had been a bit of a threat all afternoon and he almost got a goal against his former club in the 66th minute but Nelson stretched and held on to his shot.
Brechin were working away, but the game was never really looking secure. The next goal would prove crucial, either pulling City away or setting up a tense finish to the game. Paul Shields came very close to ensuring it would be the latter with a shot across goal in the 76th minute, but it went narrowly wide.
City looked to be holding on for the 2-1 win, but made the points safe in the last minute. Graham Gibson got underneath a high ball and headed it down onto the arm of his marker. The referee was not in a position to see the incident, but his assistant gave the penalty. Probably a bit of a soft decision but Brechin weren’t complaining and Paul Ritchie stepped up to calmly send Brown the wrong way from the spot.
The scrappy nature of the half began to boil over a bit in the remaining minutes as the Forfar players perhaps felt a bit hard done by. Sellars was booked for something in the aftermath of Brechin’s penalty and then there was a bit of a stramash in the middle of the park shortly after the game restarted. However, some of the Forfar players were switched on and took the free-kick they had been awarded quickly. David Lowing galloped through and was challenged in the box by Craig Winter. The referee’s decision was to book Lowing for diving. I am minded to say it should have been a penalty as Winter was nowhere near the ball, but Lowing went to ground a little easily. It wouldn’t have made any difference anyway, because Brechin had the two goal cushion. The Forfar fans got a bit excited though, shouting all manner of obscenities at the referee, the Brechin team, the Brechin supporters...

Overall, a great result for City made all the sweeter by the failure of the other promotion chasing clubs to pick up all three points. City moved ahead of Stranraer to the top of the table as the men from Stair Park lost 1-0 to Alloa. Stirling were hammered by lowly Arbroath while Morton and Ayr were both held to a draw. Forfar will be looking nervously over their shoulders as all the teams below them have improved since earlier in the season, while the men from Station Park have gone in the opposite direction after their good start.

So City finish 2004 at the top of the table, but have two very tricky home matches to being 2005. Alloa are perhaps the form team in the division at the moment, along with City, so something will have to give on January 3rd. Before that though, Sandy Clark’s rejuvenated Berwick side visit Glebe Park on New Year’s Day in a rehearsal for the sides’ Scottish Cup meeting on January 8.

Other Results - Bell's League Division 2

Berwick Rangers 2 Morton 2

Sanny doesn't score on his debut and Morton fail to get all three points.

Dumbarton 1 Ayr United 1

Dumbarton and Ayr both score in the opening 10 minutes, but these turn out to be the only goals of the game.

Stirling Albion 0 Arbroath 3

Cracking result for Arbroath as Stirling are beaten convincingly.

Stranraer 0 Alloa Athletic 1

Stranraer slip up meaning Brechin go top.