The Ballast Stadium, Hamilton, has been the scene of many of Brechin City’s ups and down in recent years.

However, on Saturday, in what was the Glebe Parkers final warm-up before the real thing got underway, City gained a deserved voctory in what was a determined performance in which they rather than their full-time opponents, created the better chances.

While still lacking much physical presence in attack, the visitors ensured that it was Davie McEwan and not Craig Nelson who had the busier afternoon. And in a City team of no failures, Davie White, Ross Archibald and Stuart Callaghan were excellent.

There was plenty crisp passing, but very little in the way of creative football early doors. City suffered an injury scare in 25 minutes when Hampshire limped off and was replaced by Geddes.

Accies came close on the half hour mark with Uras driving in a low effort following a corner kick, but Mark Gilhaney's touch almost on the line actually took the ball away from goal.

Former Hamilton midfielder Stuart Callaghan almost grabbed a goal for the visitors five minutes later, but his 30-yard free kick flew inches wide of David McEwan's left-hand post. But if that was close to a spectacular opener, Brechin only had to wait until a minute before the interval to take the lead. Chris Geddes took possession of the ball and drifted past former Portsmouth defender Harry Donaghy and full-back Steven McKeown and then hammered a terrific drive in McEwan’s bottom right-hand corner from around 20 yards.

The goal, coming just before the half-time tea, lifted Brechin and appeared to deflate their hosts. The start of the second period also allowed Michael O’Neill to ring the changes with the introduction of two trialists, one who was previously with an SPL outfit and one who played in Division two last season. While it was the latter who showed the best touches, both would undoubtedly warrant closer examination.

Stuart Callaghan appeared to revel on the plastic surface and it was he who once again went close to increasing City’s lead just 9 minutes after the break. Iain Russell had raced away from his marker and was pulled back on the edge of the area Cedric Uras being fortunate that it was a pre-season encounter and his foul hadn’t taken place seven days later, as he would have been having an early bath. Callaghan expertly curled the ball around the wall, but with McEwan beaten, the ball struck the post.

Brechin’s rearguard in which Davie White was a stand out, gave the tall Spaniard Payo no change whatsoever. The visiting manager must have also been pleased by the display of young Ross Archibald, who hardly gave Accies danger man Gilhaney a kick all afternoon, despite playing amateur football with Spartans a few months before. It was a better afternoon for City than the home side and former Accie, Callaghan, was at the heart of much of City’s creative football.

City’s only real scare of the second half came in the closing stages McArthur raced on to a loose ball following Agnew's cross and drove in a ferocious shot which the combined efforts of the City rearguard did well to block.

Hamilton: McEwan; McKeown, Donaghey, Uras, Elebert; Stevenson, Jackson, McArthur, Payo; Neil, Gilhaney. Subs: Wilson, McCabe, Easton, Agnew, McCarthy, Jellema, Galloway, McJimpsey.
Brechin: Nelson; Archibald, Stuart Ferguson, White, Walker; Steven Ferguson, Callaghan, Johnson, Russell, Hampshire; Connolly. Subs: Geddes, Trialist 1, Trialist 2, McEwan, Hillcoat, Smith.
Referee: Steven Nicholls.