Brechin face another tough encounter

Brechin City will have to wait until the final day of the season to face a team with nothing left to play for.

The Glebe Park men are still striving for their first league win of the campaign and coming up against sides in real need of points isn’t helping their cause.

And it will be the same again this afternoon in Livingston.

Manager Darren Dods said: “We had Dundee United in midweek, who are trying to secure their place in the play-offs. Before that it was the same with Dunfermline, and St Mirren were looking to win the title seven days earlier.

“Livingston want to finish second, which would be important in the play-offs.

“It won’t be until the last day of the season against Queen of the South when we face a team in the middle of the table who don’t need the win for a big reason.”

Dods added: “The United game was another one of those nights.

“At 0-0 we’ve had a shot that hit the post and spun across the line without going in. That would have changed the game. And they had a player who went over the ball with two feet and could have been sent off.

“Once they scored they were able to pull away. You can’t be hard on the boys because they’ve given it their all again.”

Jordan Sinclair has joined the injury list, while Dylan Mackin can’t play against his parent club. Declan McManus spent last season trying all he could to avoid the play-offs – but is desperate to see Dunfermline seal their place this afternoon.

The Pars striker was with Fife rivals Raith Rovers last term and ended up in a relegation battle that went all the way to the play-offs before the Kirkcaldy outfit slipped down into League One.

This year, the former Aberdeen marksman has been eyeing promotion to the Premiership instead and the Fifers will finally clinch a top-four spot if they beat on-form Inverness Caley Thistle this afternoon.

McManus admits it is an entirely different sensation this time round, but he hopes to put his Rovers experiences to good use should Dunfermline see off Inverness and Morton for a play-off place.

The 23-year-old said: “It’s a lot better feeling this season. After a game, you know you’re pushing for something good, rather than pushing to avoid something bad.

“But I think I learned a lot from last year’s play-offs.

“It was a massive learning curve and I wouldn’t change that. As much as I wouldn’t have wanted it at the time, I learned a lot from it.

“Hopefully come May, I’ll be in a

Picture: SNS. Jordan Sinclair will be missing for Brechin through injury.