Match Report - By John Hoey

Forfar Athletic 2 Brechin City 1

Forfar Athletic moved into the next round of the Forfarshire Cup after a 2-1 victory over Brechin at Station Park.

Both of the Loons goals came in an opening period in which they dominated with Stephen Husband firing his side ahead after 21 minutes and Craig Smith doubling the home side's lead eight minutes before the break.

City certainly improved after the break and pulled a goal back late on in the game when Jamie McCormack headed home but it was too little too late for Ray McKinnon's men.

The Loons started the game really well and has by far the bulk of the early pressure, with Danny Denholm firing just wide of the target after just two minutes and only a last-gasp tackle from Gerry McLauchlan prevented the same player from opening the scoring two minutes later.

City hit back and a Colin Hamilton cross from the left was headed into Craig Molloy's path by trialist Leighton McIntosh but Tiger steered his shot just wide of Ross Salmon's left-hand post and the same two players combined again three minutes later when McIntosh headed a Molloy cross from the left just wide of the target.

Forfar though were pressing hard for the opener goal and they should have scored after twelve minutes when Smith was clean through on goal but he somehow managed to fire the ball past the post and a minute later a Stephen Husband close-range drive was parried for a corner by Tough with Steven Jackson clearing off the line from the same player seconds later.

The Loons were surging forward and a Denholm shot after seventeen minutes was just wide of the target. However, the hosts deservedly grabbed the lead three minutes later when Husband picked up the ball in front of the penalty area and sent a cracking right-foot drive well beyond the reach of Tough.

Smith should have doubled Forfar's lead just on the half-hour when he was again clean through on goal but he delayed his shot too long and Steven Jackson cleared off the line.

The City defence were under a lot of pressure but they had only themselves to blame eight minutes before the break when a total misunderstanding in front of goal allowed Smith to blast the ball into the net from around two yards out to make it 2-0 for the Loons.

City started the second-half in more determined fashion than they finished the opening 45 minutes and Ryan Ferguson had a shot cleared off the line by the Loons defence within the opening four minutes but thereafter a lot of the play was confined to the midfield area with neither team able to create any clear-cut opportunities though City did have a half-chance on the hour mark when a decent chip into the Forfar penalty from Hamilton was just missed by Ferguson.

Forfar made a good break after 72 minutes when Denholm raced clear of the City rearguard and squared the ball across the field for Husband but he blasted the ball high over the bar.

City had a cruel stroke of luck six minutes later when Bobby Barr who had replaced Ryan Ferguson minutes earlier picked up the ball at the right edge of the Forfar box and fired in a shot which unfortunately cannoned back off the base of the post.

The visitors should have done better eight minutes from time when the ball fell for Steven Jackson following a Barr corner but the full-back steered his shot well wide of the target.

However, City did manage to pull a goal back three minutes from time when Jamie McCormack headed the ball past Salmon for around a yard from goal.

The Loons had the chance to increase their advantage just a minute later when Denholm played through Husband but the former Dunfermline midfielder shot wide from good position.