The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Dods quite happy with seven points
Brechin City manager Darren Dods was content with a share of the spoils against Queen’s Park on Saturday, despite his side losing their 100% league record.
The Glebe Park boss, whose side managed to avoid relegation on the final day of last season, has led the Angus side to second in the table – two points behind joint leaders Alloa and Livingston – after an encouraging start to the campaign.
Dods said: “It is another point and a clean sheet. Queen’s Park are hard to break down and it was difficult to find space.
“Chris O’Neil had our best chance in the first half and Ally Love had our best in the second, but the keeper saved.
“We did not gel the way we can and our movement and passing was not as good. We have come a long way in a short space of time and we kept going right to the end.
“If you had offered me seven points at this stage I would have taken it and we are like night and day from last season.”
Queen’s Park had a big shout for a penalty when Alan Trouten tangled with David Galt, but the referee gave the free-kick to Brechin.
Dods said: “I didn’t think it was a penalty, but I will need to see it again. They had chances but we got bodies in the way. Our defence has done well since the start of the season.”
Andy Jackson fired a shot just wide for Brechin on two minutes, but the first half generally saw defences on top.
On 26 minutes O’Neil was involved in a challenge with Queen’s keeper Andrew Murphy, but the ball did not break for the home attackers.
Six minutes from the break, O’Neil robbed a defender on the byline and cut the ball back to Jackson whose shot was blocked.
Brechin’s best passing move of the match almost brought a goal on 56 minutes. Trouten found Love and his drive was tipped round the post by Murphy.
Brechin somehow survived on 70 minutes. In the most frantic of goalmouth scrambles, Graeme Smith made two saves and another two efforts were blocked by defenders.
A Jackson volley was then saved by Murphy before a header from Galt was cleared off the line by Gareth Rodger and in stoppage-time City had one final chance when Dougie Hill headed over from a corner.