Match Report - By John Hoey

City picked up their first league points of the season but had to fight all the way before overcoming a stuffy 10-man Cowdenbeath team by 3-1 at Glebe Park.
Steven Canning, Ian Harty from the penalty-spot and Rory McAllister were on the mark for the home side, while John Dempster scored Cowdenbeath’s goal.
There was drama as early as the 8th minute when Cowden keeper David Hay was sensationally ordered off by referee David Somers for bringing down Harty in the penalty-box, but substitute goalkeeper Kris Bower had nothing to do as McAllister blasted the penalty well over the bar.
Brechin though pressed for an early goal and Neil Janczyk fired a shot from the edge of the box over the bar a couple of minutes later.
City were finding it difficult to overcome the 10 man visitors who came close to opening the scoring in the 21st minute when a Gareth Wardlaw drive was deflected for a corner but the hosts broke the deadlock in the 31st minute with a peach of a goal.
Charlie King weaved in from the left and delivered a pass to Harty in the penalty-box, who then deftly back-heeled the ball into the path of Steven Canning who fired a cracking right-foot drive into the top corner of the net, and the goal-scorer came close again a couple of minutes later when he sent a shot just wide from the edge of the box.
The visitors weren’t out of it by any manner of means and they dramatically scored the equaliser five minutes before half-time.
A Paul McQuade free-kick was headed on by Wardlaw into the path of Dempster who superbly volleyed the ball past City Keeper Craig Nelson, and a Jay Stein 45 yard effort on the stroke of half-time went just over the bar. City pressed forward after the break but were finding it difficult to prise a way past a stubborn Fifers’ rearguard.
However, as the half wore on, the ten men became increasingly tired and City took advantage in the 67th minute when Harty scored from the penalty-spot.
Neil Janczyk played a forward pass to the striker but the ball was handled in the box by Cowden substitute Neil McCabe and referee Somers had no hesitation in awarding the penalty.
Harty stepped up to take the penalty himself and drove the ball low and hard beyond the despairing arms of Bower.
Brechin wrapped up the points nine minutes later when McAllister outstripped the visitors’ defence to lob the ball beyond Bower.
City boss Jim Duffy, speaking after the match said,
“ The game changed when they had their goalkeeper sent off, there’s no question about that and we then had the numerical advantage which is not always ideal.
Under those circumstances you have to be patient and we certainly created a number of chances.
A bit of slackness in defence cost us a goal and they nearly had another one when Jay Stein had a go from 45 yards.
In the first fifteen minutes after half-time I felt that we tried to hurry the game, trying to play straight balls and trying to get the goal quickly.
I was getting frustrated and was trying to calm the players down by asking them to keep passing and keep probing but thankfully we got the breakthrough with Ian Harty scoring from the penalty-spot and Rory’s goal wrapped things up.
We’ve now played two home games and scored seven goals and created a number of chances.
Steven Canning scored a terrific goal today and I was also
pleased that Ian got his account off the mark with the penalty and delighted for Rory when he scored our third.
He missed a penalty, but his work-rate is immense and I was pleased he got his reward.”

Other Results - Irn Bru 2nd Division

Alloa Athletic 1 Peterhead 0

Arbroath 3 Dumbarton 1

Clyde 0 Stirling Albion 1

Stenhousemuir 1 East Fife 1