Match Report - By John Hoey

Ayr United 0 Brechin City 2

Brechin City ended their recent run of two straight defeats with a thoroughly deserved 2-0 victory over Ayr United at Somerset Park.

Both goals came during the opening forty five minutes which City dominated with Robert Thomson lobbing Ayr keeper David Hutton for the opener and former Ayr player Kyle McAusland blasting home goal number two in the 26th minute.

Although the Honest Men had more pressure and possession after the break, City were always in control and had more opportunities to add to their tally only for the woodwork and good goalkeeping from David Hutton in the Ayr goal to deny them.

As expected both Darren McCormack and Kyle McAusland returned to City's starting line-up after missing last week's game against Ayr due to injury but Paul McLean who was was on the verge of making his 200th appearance for the club was a late-call off due to sickness and diarrhoea.

Derek Riordan signed as a trialist late last Friday was again on the bench.

The first opportunity came City's way after just three minutes when Bobby Barr collected a long pass from defence and pushed forward to the edge of the penalty-box before firing I a shot which was well wide of the target.

Ayr responded immediately with only a timely tackle from Darren McCormack preventing former City striker Ryan Donnelly from having a clear run in on goal and seconds later Peter Murphy delivered a great cross across the face of the City goal just eluded Craig Beattie.

However, City hit back and got their reward with a typically opportunist goal from Thomson after eight minutes.

There seemed little danger for Ayr when Martyn Campbell gathered the ball deep in his own half but he opted to pass back to Hutton not realising that Thomson was behind him and big Robert kept his composure before pushing forward and beating Hutton with a superbly executed lob. Thomson had a chance just a minute later when he tried a shot from 20 yards but Hutton gathered safely.

City were pushing forward at every opportunity and they doubled their lead in the 26th minute.

Andy Jackson collected the ball midway in the Ayr half and laid the ball off superbly for McAusland who continued his run before firing a great drive beyond Hutton into the bottom corner of the net.

Kyle did well again nine minutes later when he beat Nicky Devlin on the right touchline and delivered a cross into the box which was cleared by the Ayr defence with Barr, Jackson and Masson all waiting to collect the ball.

It was nearly 3-0 for City three minutes later when they won a free-kick 25 yards from the Ayr goal after Jackson had been brought down by Campbell and Masson stepped up to fire the kick just inches past Hutton's left-hand post.

Brechin came close again four minutes before the break when Hutton came to Ayr's rescue to palm away a Thomson header and then did well to block a cross into the box from Jackson.

Ayr had the first chance of the second-half in the 56th minute when substitute Brian Gilmour fired a shot past the post with City keeper Graeme Smith off his line and Peter Murphy headed an Alan Forrest cross just last the post four minutes later with Darren McCormack clearing away a dangerous cross from Nicky Devlin five minutes after that.

Ayr midfielder Scott McLaughlin had a shot brilliantly saved by Smith in the 77th minute with substitute Dale Shirkie firing over the rebound.

Although Ayr were having more possession in the second-half, City were always in control and looking to hit on the counter-attack. They came close to increasing their advantage with eight minutes remaining when a great Masson pass released Barr who pushed forward towards goal, firing his shot just inches over the bar and City came very close again five minutes later when Thomson passed to Barr who again made for the bye-line before passing across the face of the goal to Masson who blasted his shot against the cross-bar.

City were finishing the game on a high and the last goal-scoring opportunity came their way deep into injury-time when a Thomson drive was tipped over the bar by Hutton.