Brechin City will be hoping to continue the good form they've shown in their opening three matches when Stenhousemuir provide the opposition tomorrow in the opening home league fixture of the season. The Warriors have bounced back from the disappointment of a first round Petrofac Training Cup defeat up at Brora Rangers with back to back wins against Airdrieonians in the league and League Cup. Manager Scott Booth saw John Gemmell, Darren Smith, Sean Higgins, Kevin McKinlay and Nicky Devlin depart during the close-season and will be hoping that new signings Ross Meechan, Kieran Millan, Martin Grehan, Alan Lithgow, Gregor Fotheringham and Colin McMenamin amongst others, will propel his side to a top four finish.

City lost all four league games against the Stenny last season and will be
absolutely determined to redress the balance tomorrow and the players have to take a lot of encouragement from the way they performed not only at East End Park last Saturday, but also in the two preceding games against Cowdenbeath and Dumbarton.

Unfortunately, midfielder Alan Trouten will again miss out again but everyone else is fit and eager to continue from where they left off against Dunfermline.

Manager Ray McKinnon said,

" Stenny lost a number of players last season but have also added some good players to their squad for this season."

" They were definitely a bit of a bogey team for us last year but we'll definitely be looking to take three points from them tomorrow."

" The players have played really well so far this season and we'll be looking for them to keep up the good work against the Warriors."

In the first match between the sides at Ochilview on 12th October, the hosts triumphed by 3-2. City drew first blood when Paul McLean scored the opener after 14 minutes and City held on to that lead to go in at the interval 1-0 up. However, John Gemmell equalised for the Warriors one minute into the second-half with Sean Dickson adding a second goal seven minutes later. Another goal from Gemmell gave the Warriors a two-goal advantage with Andy Jackson reducing the deficit for City with eleven minutes remaining.

In the return match at the Glebe on 28th December, a goal from former City midfielder Bryan Hodge eight minutes before half-time proved to be the winner.

The Warriors came out on top again in a six-goal thriller between the sides at Ochilview on 16th March. Goals from Darren Smith and Sean Dickson gave the hosts a 2-0 lead after only seven minutes although Alan Trouten pulled a goal back for City nine minutes before the break. Josh Watt restored his team's two-goal advantage eight minutes into the second-half before Trouten again, reduced the deficit from the penalty-spot in the 70th minute. However, any hopes City had of staging a fight-back were dashed five minutes later when Gemmell completed the scoring to make it a 4-2 home victory and it was a clean sweep of Stenny victories in the final encounter between the sides at Glebe Park on 3rd May in a game of two penalties and two red cards. That man Gemmell drew first blood for his side from the penalty spot in the 12th minute after Garry Kenneth had handled the ball in the box but Alan Trouten converted a penalty in the 53rd minute after an incident which saw Stenny keeper Chris Smith ordered off. Kenneth conceded his second penalty of the match eight minutes later for a foul on Ben Greenhalgh and was then dismissed by referee Greg Aitken before Gemmell again, converted from the spot and a further goal from Greenhalgh in the 70th minute completed the scoring.

The man in the middle tomorrow is experienced whistler and former Scottish international cricketer George Salmond.

Mr Salmond refereed three City games last season. The League opener against Rangers at Ibrox and home and away defeats against tomorrow's opponents Stenhosuemuir. Over the course of those three games, Mr Salmond issued one red card and sixteen yellow cards.

The Match Ball is being sponsored by J & R Milne and the Club Mascot will be 11 year old Jack Stewart from Aberdeen. Jack plays as a striker for Bucksburn Academy.