Match Report - By Steven Mew

City ended their Premier Sports Cup campaign on a high note with a hard-fought win over League 1 side Alloa Athletic yesterday evening.

The result and performance will undoubtedly see Andy Kirk’s men head into the Highland League opener against Turriff United on Saturday brimming with confidence.

Kirk made two changes from the side that lost late on against Cowdenbeath on Saturday, with the suspended Iain Davidson and Marc Scott dropping out of the starting 11 for Kieran Inglis and Rory Currie. With Davidson missing, Garry Wood reverted back to a defensive role after playing in a more familiar forward position at the weekend.

An Alloa side recently relegated from the Championship were comfortable favourites pre-match to come away with a positive result and they showed their intent early on. With 6 minutes gone Steven Boyd found a way through on goal but he was denied by the feet of Wills, before Scott Taggart cracked the crossbar with a rasping free kick from range.

City came back into it with David Cox striking a free kick against the wall, with the ball falling for Michael Paton who dragged his shot wide.

Confidence was growing within the home ranks and Paton would again threaten with a strike that was deflected wide for a corner. City continued to pepper shots at the visitors’ goal with both Paton and Bain denied by the Alloa rearguard.

As the game approached the interval, Jack Wills was called into action to push away a long range range from Scott Taggart for a corner.

Several minutes into the second period Kieran Inglis, who put in a tremendous shift in a fairly unfamiliar right-back role, glided past three players before firing wide on his weaker left foot.

The industrious David Cox limped off on 50 minutes to be replaced by MARC SCOTT, and it didn’t take long for the Brechiner to make his mark on the game.

He broke clear of the Alloa defence two minutes after his arrival, firing narrowly wide of the post. The visitors didn’t heed the warning, as moments later he latched on to a pass from Jamie Bain on the left hand side of the box before unleashing an unstoppable strike high into the net for his first City goal.

Midway through the second half, City made their second and final substitution as Evan Galasso was introduced to the action, replacing Rory Currie.

The visitors looked for a way back into the game and on 71 minutes the ball fell kindly for Cameron O’Donnell inside the box but he could only fire straight at Wills and moments later, substitute Conor Sammon headed wide of goal.

The City defence was proving difficult to break down as the Wasps continued to pile forward in search of a late equaliser. In stoppage time, Wills was equal to Armstrong’s effort before Sammon fired wide of the target.

After four nervy minutes of added on time, City held on for an impressive win which, coupled with a clean sheet, will undoubtedly boost morale ahead of the Highland League campaign.