STENHOUSEMUIR – BRECHIN CITY MATCH PREVIEW


City will head to Ochilview tomorrow afternoon keen to get back on the victory trail after the disappointment of two successive home postponements against East Fife and Queen of the South respectively.

City will have very happy memories of the last time the teams met – at Glebe Park on 27th October when the hosts produced perhaps their best display of the season with a thumping 7-2 victory.

Kurtis Byrne set his side on the road to victory after just nine minutes only for the Warriors to equalise through John Gemmell just on the half-hour. Two further goals from Alan Trouten gave City a 3-1 advantage only for the visitors to reduce the deficit again through Sean Dickson. However, Trouts completed his hat-trick to make it 4-2 and a David McKenna penalty and a brace from Derek Carcary put the icing on the cake for City.

The two games played at Ochielview earlier in the season did not provide such happy memories for Ray McKinnon’s men.

The League Cup tie on 4th August ended in a emphatic 4-0 victory for the hosts with Gemmell, Darren Smith (2) and Stewart Kean on the mark and a couple of weeks later in the league, a Gemmell hat-trick was the highlight of a 3-1 home win with Andy Jackson scoring for City.

The hosts will no doubt be looking to make it two wins on the trot after recording a win against Ayr United at Somerset Park on Tuesday night with Sean Dickson and Mark Corcoran scoring the goals that mattered after David Winters had given the Honest Men the lead.

City, for their part will be going all out to make it three wins in a row after victories over Arbroath and Ayr.

Ray McKinnon has everyone available tomorrow with the exception of long-term injury victim Craig Molloy while Stenny counterpart Martyn Corrigan looks like having to do without defender Ross McMillan and midfielder Craig Anderson.

The last six results for both clubs are as follows (City and Stenny scores first)

Brechin City

29/12 Stranraer (A) 2-0
2/1 Forfar (A) 4-1
5/1 Alloa (H) 3-2
12/1 East Fife (A) 2-2
16/2 Arbroath (A) 1-0
19/2 Ayr (H) 2-1

Won – 5 Drawn – 2 Lost – 0

Goals For - 15 Goals Against – 6

Stenhousemuir

5/1 Forfar (H) 2-0
12/1 Stranraer (H) 0-0
2/2 Arbroath (H) 1-0
9/2 Q of S (A) 1-2
23/2 Stranraer (A) 1-1
26/2 Ayr (A) 2-1

Won – 3 Drawn – 2 Lost – 1

Goals For – 7 Goals Against – 4

The Match Referee for tomorrow is experienced whistler David Somers whose only previous Brechin match this season was the 4-0 opening day defeat against tomorrow’s opponents. Let’s hope this doesn’t prove to be an unlucky omen.

The Supporters Bus leaves St. Ninians Square tomorrow at 11.30am and anyone wishing to travel on this bus should contact Michael Baillie on 01356 626823. For those travelling by car, the post-code for satellite navigation systems is FK5 4QL.