The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Brechin stung by late winner for Wasps
An injury-time goal extended Alloa’s points advantage over promotion rivals Brechin to nine in a pulsating match at Glebe Park.
The opening 45 minutes were close and competitive with both sides pushing forward in search of the opening goal.
The Wasps almost grabbed the opener after seven minutes when former City striker Jordan Kirpatrick played a good pass into the City box for Kevin Cawley who fired wide of the target with the hosts’ best chance coming on the half-hour mark when Liam Watt sent a blistering drive just wide.
Alloa hit back and made the vital breakthrough just a couple of minutes before the break when Stefan McCluskey timed his run perfectly to collect the ball on the left before cutting it back into the City box for Cawley who slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net.
City piled on the pressure at the start of the second half and were unlucky not to level the match in the 53rd minute when Dougie Hill had a header cleared off the line.
They had a massive let-off four minutes later when a net-bound Kirkpatrick shot was blocked by Chris O’Neil and then had a further escape in the 62nd minute when Aaron Lynas cleared a Dylan Mackin shot off the line.
The Wasps had another good opportunity in the 74th minute when they broke quickly with substitute Jamie Longworth playing a great cross-field pass to Cawley who quickly played in Kirkpatrick but he blasted the ball over the bar from great position.
City stormed right back and scored a great equaliser two minutes later when an Andy Jackson header came back off the bar straight into his path and he wasted no time in blasting the ball past Wasps’ keeper Craig McDowall.
However, the visitors scored a dramatic winner deep into stoppage time when skipper Andy Graham was on hand to slot the ball home after City keeper Graeme Smith had parried a Longworth header.
City manager Darren Dods said: “The players showed great character to get back into the match so to lose a goal so late is really hard to take, but we’ll pick ourselves and be ready to go again against East Fife on Saturday.” Attendance: 372
Brechin City: Smith, McLean, Lynas, McLean, Fusco, Hill, O’Neil, Graham (Ford 81), Dale, Jackson, Watt, Love (Caldwell 58). Subs not used: Rodger, McCormack, Ford, Dods, O’Neil.
Alloa: McDowall, Taggart, Waters, McKeown, Graham, Hetherington (Spence 76), Cawley, Robertson, Mackin (Longworth 72), Kirkpatrick, McCluskey (Flannagan 66). Subs not used: Holmes, Marr, Hynd, Wilson.
Referee: Craig Napier.