Match Report - By Eoin McNicol

A brace from Grady McGrath and Anthony McDonald earned Brechin all 3 points at Glebe Park yesterday, producing a 4th consecutive clean sheet in the process.

City eventually put 4 past a tough Turriff United side who made parts of the game frustrating for Kirks side. Grady McGrath and Anthony McDonald were the difference with 2 goals each as well as the back line putting in a shift to keep the Turriff attack quiet.

Andy Kirk made two changes following the stalemate at Bellslea Park midweek, with Michael McArthur rotated for Anthony McDonald, as well as Nathan Cooney replacing Euan Spark in the starting line-up.

After 90 minutes without a goal midweek, City were quick to get back to scoring ways at Glebe Park with a goal in the opening 2 minutes. Marc Scott slid GRADY MCGRATH in behind the Turriff defence with a sublime through ball, leaving Grady a one on one opportunity which he took with ease as he tucked away his effort across goal and into the bottom left corner.

It was a feisty opening to the game with Turriff committing a few rash tackles early on which seen Owen Kinsella go into the referees book after a late challenge on Fraser MacLeod.

Ten minutes in, Anthony McDonald showed great feet as he glided past his opponents in the box before trying to slide the ball under David Dey, but the keeper did well to make himself big and turn the effort out for a corner. The resulting corner was floated in but was gathered by Dey at the back post and cleared.

Just a minute later, it was a great attacking move from City as Botti Biabi backheeled the ball to Kieran Inglis before he made a quick one-two with McGrath. Inglis took the first time shot which was blazed high over the bar.

Anthony McDonald showed his class again as he danced passed the Turriff defence in the box, picking out Inglis on the edge of the area who again misjudged his shot and fired high over the bar.

The first half produced a great physical battle between Turriff’s striker Fergus Alberts and Hamish Thomson, with Hamish winning absolutely everything that came at him to stop the danger of the visitors' big presence up top.

On 32 minutes, Biabi composed himself on the edge of the box before rifling a shot down the middle of the goal which Dey parried out for a corner. Inglis whipped in the corner which was punched into the air by the keeper, bouncing off of the crossbar twice before going out of play for another corner.

McDonald did well to intercept a pass in the middle of the City half from which Brechin quickly countered from. McDonald slid Botti through on goal but he made the angle too tight for himself to get it past Dey at his near post.

Two minutes later, claims for a Turriff penalty were ignored by the referee with the challenge leading to a bit of a scuffle in the box which saw the referee brandish 3 yellow cards, including one to Hamish Thomson.

Thomson nearly made his mark on the game again a couple of minutes later. He did superbly well to control the ball with his chest on the half way line before going on a run himself through half of the Turriff team, where he opted for a long shot which he rocketed just past the top corner.

Inglis found the target for the first time in the match on the stroke of half time - he fizzled an effort low which seemed destined for the bottom right corner, but Dey was fully stretched to turn the shot round the post with a strong hand.

Turriff’s first real chance of the game came in the 56th minute via a long range free kick which was taken by Liam Strachan. The set piece was met by the head of Kinsella who flicked the ball backwards, with his effort bouncing just wide of the post.

City were in need of a second goal as Turriff started to grow into the game at the beginning of the second half.

In the 62nd minute, ANTHONY MCDONALD gave Brechin their second from the edge of the area. McDonald controlled the ball before curling his shot into the far left post with a stunning finish.

Turriff looked for a way back into the game with Ewan Clark testing Lenny Wilson’s concentration from distance with a hopeful effort, but Lenny held with ease.

City killed the game off in the 77th minute through GRADY MCGRATH. Marc Scott did excellently as he burst past Liam Cheyne on the right before picking out Kieran Inglis in the box. Inglis' shot hit the post and landed favourably to Grady who had an easy tap in at the back post to move onto 27 league goals for the season, breaking the club record of 26 set by Ronnie McIntosh in 1959/60.

ANTHONY MCDONALD wrapped up the scoring two minutes from time. Marc Scott did well down the right wing again before whipping in a cross which met Calum Ferguson at the back post, the substitute headed the ball back into the middle of the six yard box where McDonald fired into the bottom right.

Overall, an impressive defensive performance from City with man of the match Anthony McDonald lighting up the show at the Glebe. We are in action again on Wednesday night as we face Brora Rangers in another huge game at Glebe Park.

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