Match Report - By John Hoey

CITY and Alloa shared a point apiece in a hard-fought match at Glebe Park, but City will be very disappointed that they didn’t win the match as they created a number of chances and put the Wasps goal under lots of pressure particularly in the second-half.

Stuart Noble scored the opener for Alloa just a couple of minutes after the break but the Division 2 top scorer, Rory McAllister levelled the match for City in the 75th minute.

With Paul McLean and Steven Canning calling off because of sickness just hours before kick-off and Jon Seeley unavailable, manager Jim Duffy was forced to make several personnel and positional changes.

Barry Smith stepped back into central defence to partner Alex Walker and on a depleted bench were Darryl Gowans, who had been recalled from Dundee North End for the game and trialist Terry Masson, ex Arbroath midfielder now of Carnoustie Panmure.

The opening minutes were devoid of any goalmouth action and it was the visitors who caused the first bit of danger after ten minutes.

Noble picked up a pass on the right touchline and outstripped Alex Walker before sending in a dangerous cross but luckily for City there were no takers and the danger was cleared.

City’s first chance came in the 17th minute when Mark Docherty beat a couple of defender on the left touchline and fired in a shot which went across the face of the goal.

Kevin Byers picked up a pass from McAllister three minutes later and let fly from 20 yards and was unlucky to see his shot go narrowly past.

Disaster struck fro City in the 27th minute when Alex Walker had to leave the field, carrying what looked like a serious injury. Gary Fusco went back into the back four, and trialist Terry Masson came on to slot into Fusco’s midfield role.

After 34 minutes, McAllister was fouled around 20 yards from goal by John Grant. The striker picked himself up and took the free-kick himself but it went straight to keeper David Crawford.

In the 39th minute Crawford saved a Docherty effort and parried the rebound from McAllister for a corner.

Alloa had posed little problems up front although Prunty tried a long-range shot in the 42nd minute which went well wide of the target.

McAllister was having a great game and he came close again a couple of minutes before the break when he turned David McClune on the left touchline and fired in a drive but Crawford again saved well.

City started on the attack after the break but they were shell-shocked in the 47th minutes when Alloa grabbed the lead after a Barry Smith clearance rebounded off STUART NOBLE and went underneath Nelson.

City didn’t take this lying down and powered forward in an effort to get the equaliser.

In the 55th minute, Byers crossed in for McAllister who shot just over and a couple of minutes later a Charlie King cross was met by Fusco, who fired just wide.

McAllister had a go again in the 67th minute, but Crawford in the Alloa goal again proved himself equal to the task.

However, City weren’t to be denied, and RORY McALLISTER got the goal he and the team so richly deserved in the 75th minute when he collected a wonderful pass from Masson to drill the ball low into the bottom corner of the net.

Brechin were now going all out for the winner and McAllister nearly added a second three minutes later when he controlled a nother good cross from King to fire in a shot but Crawford again saved the day for the Wasps bringing off another great save.

With three minutes left, Docherty shot from around 15 yards but it went wide of the target.

Brechin boss Jim Duffy said,

“ We played really well and with the injuries and resources we had I can’t give the players enough credit.”

“ We had a number of chances. We’d four one on ones and the keeper saved three of them. We scored one goal but we had numerous shots on target and ricochets that never fell for us.”

“ As regards the goal we lost, Barry Smith won the tackle, but he was very unfortunate that the ball ricocheted off of the Stuart Noble and ended up in the net.”

“ I couldn’t have asked for any more from the players. It was a pudding of a pitch in terms of legs but I was absolutely delighted with them.

“ We’ve now played Alloa three times. We won the game here 2-1 and I think we were a bit fortunate to have won that, but today I felt that we were extremely unfortunate not to have won it.”

“ We were very unlucky to lose Alex Walker so early in the game, but Gary Fusco who has been immense for us in the middle of the park. He’s a real driving force for us in that area for us and compliments us very well fitted in superbly at the back. Terry Masson, who played as a trialist, had just finished a training session for Carnoustie Panmure and he also did extremely well for us. He didn’t look at all out of place and he delivered a great pass for Rory’s goal so I was delighted for him..”

“ I thought that our back four were excellent. Our midfield did very well and our strikers linked up superbly as well with their goalkeeper bringing off three or four good saves from them.”

“ It seems to be the story of our season that we create a host of chances game after game but it’s too much to expect them all to be put away at this level.”

“ We’re an entertaining side to watch and Alloa remember are one of the best sides in this division but I felt that we were very unlucky not to beat them today.”

Alloa boss Allan Maitland said,

“ When we came here earlier in the season and lost 2-1 I felt that we really unlucky as we had deserved to win that game. Today was a different day. I felt that Brechin despite the conditions were better than us and a point was the very least they deserved to have taken out of the game.”

“ Having scored our goal, I felt that we were miles too open and we allowed Brechin to break on us constantly and as we were winning the game it should have been the other way round.”

“ Rory McAllister is a real handful and he deserved to get his goal.”

“ It was a hard, hard, game for us and a good point. But all credit to Brechin who played very well. I know that they’re short on numbers at the moment, but the eleven who played, including the trialist did extremely well.”

Footnote

Tuesday night's Forfarshire Cup semi-final against Forfar Athletic at Station Park has been postponed because of the injury and illness situation at the club.

This match will hopefully be re-arranged later in the season.

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