Match Report - By John Hoey

Brechin City 0 Queens Park 0

Brechin City and Queens Park shared the spoils after a hard-fought and competitive encounter ended goalless.

City boss Darren Dods made three changes to the side that defeated Cove Rangers in the second round of the Irn Bru Cup on Tuesday night with Elliot Ford, Paul McLean and Ross Caldwell making way for Chris O'Neil, Dougie Hill and Alan Trouten.

City threatened after just a couple of minutes when O'Neil took a quick throw-in wide on the right to Andy Jackson who quickly turned his man and fired in a shot which was just inches past the right-hand post.

The visitors then enjoyed a fair amount of possession without posing any danger to the City defence although they came very close in the 22nd minute when Ryan McGeever headed a Sean Burns corner just over the bar.

City hit back and a long diagonal pass from Dougie Hill was chased by Spiders keeper Andrew Murphy and O'Neil with the City full-back getting the break of the ball and crossing into the opposition penalty-box but unfortunately there were no takers and a couple of minutes later the first substitution of the afternoon was made with Sean Burns being replaced by David Galt.

The next chance came the visitors way in the 31st minute when Paul Wood fired in a shot from the edge of the box but it was wide of the target but the final opportunity of the opening 45 minutes fell to City seven minutes later when O'Neil did really well to win the ball on the right touch-line and cross into the box for Jackson whose first-time shot was blocked by McGeever.

City started the second-half well and they created the best chance of the game so far four minutes into the half when Alan Trouten collected the ball at the edge of the box and played it back to Willie Dyer whose blistering first-time drive was just inches past,
and Dyer was in the action at the other end just minutes later when he had to look sharp to kick clear a dangerous cross from the left from Josh Watt.

City came back again and Trouten collected the ball wide on the right and crossed into the box for Ally Love whose left-foot drive was parried for a corner by Murphy.

It was then the visitors turn to hit back and City lived really dangerously in the 68th minute when Queens fired in at least four shots in quick succession before Smith eventually managed to gather the ball.

City then made their first substitution of the match in the 75th minute when Caldwell replaced Love.

The game was flowing from end to end as both sides searched for the decisive opening goal with the Spiders coming very close with a couple of minutes remaining when Gareth Rodger cleared a header from Galt off the goal-line with Rodger coming close for City deep into injury-time when he headed a Dyer corner from the right just over the bar.