The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Dods disappointed after Brechin fail to test Lions
City lose league leaders status to full-time Livi
Brechin City boss Darren Dods watched his side lose top spot in League One to a powerful Livingston outfit and expressed his regret that they didn’t do enough in an attacking sense themselves.
The former Dundee United and Forfar defender said: “We knew we would be put under pressure. We held out for a long time before finally losing a flukey goal when our keeper slipped
“What disappointed me was the fact that when we lost the second goal our heads went down and that is the first time that has happened this season.
“They got a lift from the first goal and their second came quickly after, but we never put them under any pressure.
“Livingston are a good attacking side and their strikers, Buchanan and Mullen, are top scorers in the division, but we should have tested them more.
“I am disappointed after every defeat, but I am happy with the way things are going. We are second and still in there challenging.”
Livingston dominated from the start and Raffaele De Vita curled a shot over, then Liam Buchanan shot wide.
On 19 minutes a De Vita volley forced a great save from Graeme Smith, then on 30 minutes, Smith saved with his feet from the dangerous Buchanan.
Brechin rallied just before the break and James Dale shot wide, then Ally Love had a shot deflected off target.
Both sides had chances at the start of the second half. Livingston keeper Liam Kelly saved at the feet of Andy Jackson, then at the other end Smith saved from Nicky Cadden.
On 63 minutes, Alan Lithgow headed against the bar from a Cadden corner.
The deadlock was broken on 67 minutes when a half-hit shot from Buchanan found the net as Smith slipped.
Two minutes later, Jackson Longridge went on a solo run and made it 2-0.
Livingston completed the scoring on 87 minutes. Smith did well to save from Dale Carrick but Shaun Byrne followed up to score.