It might have come a few weeks too late for most of us, but if you were a Brechin City fan on Saturday night, did you care?

Yes the first win of the season was secured. Three league points in the bag and hopefully more to follow. That will be the case if Brechin start the majority of their fixtures as they did on Saturday, Brechin’s positive approach saw them win tackles all over the park and it paid off with two well-take goals.


The two early goals looked likely to have City coasting. They were well on top and could have been three or four up before the visitors found their feet.

Queen’s ability to make a match of it largely coincided with the departure of Darren Smith from the City midfield, after the Brechin skipper was the victim of a two-footed tackle. Quite simply City were never as comfortable again after Smith went off – but who in the 500+ crowd cared? It was Glebe Park’s first league win of the season and that was what was uppermost in the minds of most.

City went in front after seven minutes with Darren Gribben, making his home debut, notching his second goal in as many games. The slightly built striker pounced to cleverly steer a short Mark Ferry back pass over the arm of QP goalkeeper, Scott Murray.

Two minutes later Brechin were well in command with a goal of real quality. Both in terms of the finish that was applied and even more in the football that was played leading up to it. Kevin Byers made room for himself on the right flank and sent an inch-perfect cross that was perfectly glanced into the bottom corner by Martin Johnston.

Craig Nelson was called upon for the first time to make a save from Paul Ronald at his far post, as the visitor’s threatened for the first time. Gribben had a further opportunity to increase the home team’s lead when his shot from just inside the penalty area was clawed at finally held by Murray.

Adam Nelson replaced the injured Darren Smith and eleven minutes from the interval, City threatened again. This time from a corner kick, Scott Walker was first to Stuart Callaghan’s measured cross which whizzed inches past the upright.

New boy Gribben was a constant menace to the home defence. However, he should have played a role in increasing his side’s lead before the first half ended. First of all he was found by Kevin Byers, Byers continued his foraging run into the Spiders’ box, but Gribben chose to go for goal when a return pass to his team mate appeared the better option. On the stroke of half-time, the striker was unfortunate not to net his side’s third. He raced away from Paul Paton on the right flank running fully 40 yards; he cut inside, drew the goalkeeper and placed a shot towards the opposite corner, which, despite beating the goalkeeper, slithered agonisingly the wrong side of the post.

Gribben was back on the attack in the 64th minute. He held off his marker and made room inside the box only to be denied by an excellent save from Murray once again.

Referee, Stephen Finnie, who had another wise faultless afternoon, angered the home crowd with his next decision. Martin Johnston side-stepped Damiano Agostini and appeared to be felled a few yards inside the box. The referee waved away City’s penalty claim and when the ball next went dead, astonishingly book Johnston for diving. Somewhat strange, given the fact that the striker would have a clear run at goal, had he remained on his feet.

Queen’s Park brought on Stuart McGrady for Martin Ure and sub McGrady forced Nelson into his first real save of the second half. The veteran goalkeeper did well to narrow the angle, after the Queen’s forward had found space in the City box.

Only desperate last-gasp defending from Paul Paton and goalkeeper Murray prevented City from taking a three-nil lead. Gribben had created the opportunity after holding off two defenders and squaring the ball to his strike partner Johnston. The big man poked the ball towards goal, but his effort was blocked on the line by a combination of the Queen’s duo’s joint effort.
Queens looked a different side in the second period and dominated in midfield. City survived a penalty shout against substitute Adam Nelson, whom the visitors claimed handled the ball on the goal-line. While the visitors had a lot of the ball, they didn’t create many scoring opportunities.

Steven Canning did manage to steer the ball home a goal for the Spiders with eight minutes left. This meant that City’s players and fans had to endure a nervy last few minutes, which might have not been the case had they tucked away that third counter at two-nil up.

But all in all, City did enough in the first period to merit the win and enough in terms of opportunities created to win two games. Best for Brechin were Murie, White, Walker, Byers and Gribben.

Brechin City – C.Nelson, Murie, Dyer, S.Walker, White, S. Callahan (R. Walker), Byers, King, Johnston, Gribben (Geddes 89), Smith (A. Nelson 27). Unused subs: - Janczyk and McCluskey (GK).

Queen’s Park: - Murray, Paton, Dunlop, Ure, (McGrady 61), Agostini, Ronald, Kettlewell, Cairney, Quinn, Canning, Ferry. Unused subs: - Boslem, Colquhoun, Harty, Cowie (GK)>