Bitter moment for Crighton as City’s relegation confirmed in home town

It was the worst kept secret in Scottish football that Brechin City were heading for relegation from the Championship to League One after just one season.

On Saturday Darren Dods’ side inability to register their first win in 29 attempts finally confirmed the drop mathematically.

It was a bitter moment in particular for City defender Sean Crighton, who comes from Greenock and has tasted League Championship glory with the Cappielow club.

This time around it was on the ground of his former club where he and his team mates faced the reality of relegation.

Crighton said: “It’s a wee bit of a contrast having won the league here a couple of years ago, but it was inevitable it was going to happen. I thought we did enough first half, but in the second we weren’t up to it.

“Coming close doesn’t win you games and we have to look at ourselves. It is a difficult league and most of the teams are full-time. We have to look at ourselves and for personal pride we need to win a game, even if it is just one win.

“You don’t want to be that team that never won a game in a whole season.

“We have to be more clinical in front of goal. There are fine margins.”

Morton, desperate to consolidate a place in the play-offs, almost got off to a great start with two brilliant efforts in the opening exchanges.

After six minutes John Baird held the ball up well for Gary Oliver, bursting in from the left, but his angled drive from 15 yards was superbly turned over by goalkeeper Graeme Smith.

Three minutes later Smith was in action gain with an even better save getting down to his right to push away a downward header from Gary Fraser, making his first start on loan from Partick Thistle.

Ton goalkeeper Derek Gaston, making his 200th appearance for the club, should have found himself picking the ball out of the net in 14 minutes when Jordan Sinclair whipped in an inswinging corner from the right for the unmarked

Paul Mclean, but the Brechin skipper’s flashing header from eight yards went wide of the far post.

Brechin continued to fight and in 38 minutes Liam Watt passed up a glorious chance when he shot over from 16 yards after a mix-up in the home defence.

But Morton came racing out of the traps in the second half and took the lead in 50 minutes when Fraser’s corner from the left was met by Baird who had the simplest of jobs to head home from six yards.

Ton might have made it two in 61 minutes when Fraser was just off the mark from 28 yards.

The points were secured, along with Brechin’s fate, in 72 minutes when Tiffoney carved an opening on the left before slipping the ball through for Baird to run on and chip ‘keeper Smith from a narrow angle.

City boss Darren Dods said: “It’s hard to take. We gave it a shot and worked their goalkeeper. We switched off and legs were tired having had three games in a week. Full-time teams have that extra quality.”