Brechin City manager Andy Kirk praised his side for keeping up the pressure at the top of Breedon Highland League with victory against Brora Rangers.
The Hedgmen triumphed 2-0 at Dudgeon Park courtesy of Ewan Loudon’s brace to move up to third in the table, six points behind leaders Fraserburgh having played a game more.
Kirk said: “I’m very pleased it was a good team performance and a good result.
“Coming away to Brora was never going to be easy, they’re a strong side and have been at the top of the league for a reason.
“It keeps us in the hunt for stuff come the end of the season.
“We’ve just got to keep looking after our own performances and we want to keep having that feeling.
“I said to players after the game it’s a good feeling when you’ve performed well and won.
“We need to have that feeling more often, I’m really pleased for the players because they worked hard and deserved the win and it’s something for us to keep building on.”
Loudon deserved his chance
After making an impact off the bench last weekend against Fort William match-winner Loudon was rewarded with a start and the 18-year-old repaid Kirk’s faith.
He added: “Ewan’s been with us from the start of the season and has been improving all the time.
“It’s just been about getting the right stage to get him on the pitch.
“Last week against Fort William he came on, won us a penalty and scored a goal and he deserved his place in the team against Brora.
“His performance was fantastic and even if you take his two goals away his work-rate was really high.”
Playing against a stiff breeze, Brora threatened early on with Jordan MacRae and Andrew Macrae having efforts blocked and Colin Williamson heading onto the roof of the net from a Dale Gillespie corner.
But the bulk of the game was played in the Cattachs’ half during the first period and Brechin took the lead on 23 minutes.
Garry Wood shrugged off a couple of challenges in the middle of the park and found Loudon who arrowed a low shot from the edge of the area into the left corner.
Early in the second half Ali Sutherland capitalised on a slip from Hamish Thomson but City goalkeeper Jack Wills saved his shot from 20 yards.
Shortly after at the other end Joe Malin did well to tip over a Murray Mackintosh strike from similar range.
But just before the hour Brechin doubled their lead with Loudon intercepting a Gillespie pass, driving towards the edge of the box and firing into the bottom right corner.
On 63 minutes Malin made an excellent save to claw away Kevin McHattie’s half-volley.
Brora kept plugging away until the full-time whistle, but they struggled to carve out decent chances.
Disappointment for Campbell
The Cattachs are now fifth in the table and nine points off the pace.
Boss Craig Campbell said: “I’m disappointed with the result, but I’m more disappointed with the performance.
“We let ourselves down, conditions were difficult and 1-0 down at half-time we felt we were still in the game.
“We hoped with the wind behind us in the second half we could put them under a bit of pressure.
“But they put us under more pressure than we put them under so we got out of the game exactly what we deserved.
“It’s an uphill task, we’re nine points adrift. The disappointing thing for me is that when we’re playing the teams around us in the table we’re struggling to get results.
“That’s not going to win leagues, that’s nowhere near the form you need.”