Match Report - By John Hoey

Brechin City 2 Ayr United 1

Brechin City extended their unbeaten run to twelve matches and moved up one place to fourth position in the League One table after a deserved 2-1 victory over Ayr United at Glebe Park.

City now sit just two points behind third place Angus neighbours Forfar and three points behind Jim Duffy's Morton side who now move into second place after their 3-2 victory at Stenhouseumuir. City now sit eight points behind leaders Stranraer with this Saturday's match at Stair Park undoubtedly the division's game of the day.

Paul McLean, at 24, remarkably the club's longest serving player, fittingly marked his 200th start for the side with the opening goal and a further goal from substitute Robert Thomson eleven minutes from the end wrapped up the win with Ayr getting a late consolation through Alan Forrest in the final minute.

Manager Ray McKinnon had one enforced change to make to the side that won so convincingly at Forfar a week ago with club captain Craig Mollloy replacing the departed Jamie Masson.

The early exchanges between the sides was fairly scrappy but City grabbed the initiative in the 16th minute when they grabbed the opening goal. Bobby Barr picked up the ball wide on the left and crossed into the Ayr box for Alan Trouten who passed it onto Pabs on the right edge of the box and he drilled home a blistering right-foot drive into the bottom corner of the net.

It should have been 2-0 eleven minutes later when a defensive clearance was picked up by Barr who outpaced the visitors defence and looked set to score, however David Hutton was quickly off his line to narrow the angle and block the midfielder's shot.

City came even closer six minutes later whena good move ended with Trouten passing inside the box to Andy Jackson whose left-foot drive skimmed the top of the crossbar.

City kept up the pressure and there was a half-chance for McLean to double his tally five minutes before the break when the ball fell kindly for him in the Ayr box but he was off balance and his final shot was easily saved by Hutton.

The visitors had their only chance of the half two minutes later when Robbie Crawford tried a shot from the edge of the box and although it took a slight deflection, Graeme Smith in the City goal saved easily.

The Honest Men tried hard to get back into the game after the break and five minutes into the half, a Scott McGlaughlin drive from the left was well wide of the target and Alan Forrest was clean through in the City goal eleven minutes later with Smith having to move quickly off his line to avert the danger.

In the 62nd minute, Trouten steered a header from a Barr cross from the right well past Hutton's right-hand post and the same two players combined again just a minute later with Trouten blasting Barr's cross inches past the post.

In the 78th minute, City replaced Craig Wighton with Robert Thomson, and the big man had barely been a minute in the park when he wrapped up victory with a superb goal.

The ball was played down the right touchline into his path by Trouten and Robert kept his composure to cut inside and execute a perfect lob beyond Hutton to give City a two-goal advantage.

With four minutes left on the clock, City made a further substitution replacing the impressive Barr with Ryan Ferguson and they still pushed forward in search of a third goal. However, the final goal of the game, in the last minute, came the opposition's way when a close-range shot from Forrest reduced the deficit.

Other Results - Scottish League One

Airdrieonians 1 Peterhead 3

Blue Toon Shock Diamonds

Stenhousemuir 2 Morton 3

Ton Edge Out Warriors

Stirling Albion 2 Dunfermline Athletic 2

Four Goals Shared At Forthbank

Stranraer 4 Forfar Athletic 2

Blues Stay Top After Beating Loons