Match Report - By John Hoey

Brechin City 4 Forfar Athletic 0

Brechin City gave their chances of avoiding relegation a real boost after sweeping aside Forfar Athletic by 4-0 at Glebe Park last night.

It was an incredible performance from City who entered the game on the back of successive 4-1 defeats and to be frank many of their supporters wouldn't have been too confident of taking anything out of last night's match, but the players set about their task with absolute determination and were well worth their win.

Goals from Liam Watt and player-boss Darren Dods gave the hosts a 2-0 half-time lead and further second-half goals from Watt and Robert Thomson put the seal on an incredible victory.

City have now narrowed the points gap with the Loons who have played one game fewer to four points and they also gained ground on third-bottom Cowdenbeath who lost heavily at Ayr.

If City can maintain this type of form in their remaining nine matches they will give themselves a very real chance of avoiding the drop and their supporters who have been in the doldrums of late must surely now come out in increasing numbers in the final matches to spur the players on.

Andy Jackson and Liam Watt who had both been rated as doubtful before the game were both passed fit and were in the starting line-up while player boss Dods came in for Lucas Culjac in central defence with skipper Craig Molloy replacing Lewis Spence.

The Loons threatened in the first five minutes when a Martyn Fotheringham diagonal pass found Andy Ryan at the right edge of the City box and he cut in before firing in a shot which was well saved by Graeme Smith.

City hit back with a James Dale effort going over the bar.

Fotheringham then flighted a good free-kick into the City box for Ryan who glanced in a header which was saved by Smith and shortly afterwards Danny Denholm dragged the ball across the 18 yard line before drilling in a low drive but Smith was again equal to the task.

City then had a let-off when Dods fouled Fotheringham at the edge of the box as he chased a long ball from defence with the City manager being booked for the challenge.

City then pushed forward and they grabbed the opener four minutes later.

The ball was played wide on the right to Thomson and he cut into the Loons penalty box before laying the ball on for Watt whose low drive beat Darren Hill and it was 2-0 six minutes later when Watt flighted a great free-kick into the box for Dods who rose above the visitors defence to power a header past Hill.

The Loons were unlucky not to reduce the deficit three minutes before the break when Denholm made ground in the left before sending a great ball across the face of the City penalty-area with Steven Craig just missing the ball by inches.

Forfar had the first chance of the second-half when Derek Young played a good pass forward to Craig but the striker steered his shot well wide of the target. City responded with Molloy hitting a drive from 25 yards which went over the bar.

The Loons then had another chance when Scott Martin played a good pass forward to Spark at the right edge of the City box but he blasted the ball over the bar from good position.

The young full-back was in the throes of the action at the other end three minutes later when he mis-directed a header straight into the path of Watt who took a step before unleashing a tremendous 20 yard drive which sailed into the top corner of the net to make it 3-0 for the hosts.

Ryan then had a free-kick well held by Smith before City sub Scott Shepherd who had replaced Jackson just minutes earlier had a drive turned round the post by Hill.

Three goals in front and with victory secured, City had their tails up and they incredibly made it 4-0 with ten minutes remaining. Dyer collected the ball on the left and crossed into the box for Thomson whose downward header bounced over Hill before entering the net and a miserable night for the Loons was compounded right at the death when Gareth Rodger was sent off for a foul on Shepherd.

Other Results - Ladbrokes League One

Albion Rovers 1 Stenhousemuir 1

Rovers And Warriors Share The Points

Ayr United 4 Cowdenbeath 1

Comfortable Victory For Honest Men