Brechin City manager Andy Kirk was thrilled with their blistering start which set them on the way to victory against Lossiemouth.
The Hedgemen prevailed 3-0 at Grant Park to maintain their unbeaten record in the Breedon Highland League and remain two points behind Buckie Thistle at the top of the table.
Kirk’s side made the perfect start with Marc Scott’s opener clocked at eight seconds after video footage had been consulted.
He said: “You take it if it comes. We spoke about starting the game well and we’d literally reached the technical area and turned round and saw the long ball going down and Marc did well to pick up the second ball.
“After that he was really positive and it’s a great finish, sometimes it happens and I’m delighted.
“I’m delighted with the outcome, we would have liked some more goals, but I have to give the Lossiemouth goalkeeper a special mention.
“He was outstanding and made four or five top saves so credit to him for keeping them in the game.”
Early opener
City kicked off and sent the ball towards the Lossie box with Michael Weir’s poor touch falling for Scott who curled a left-footed shot into the left corner from 20 yards.
Scott wasted another chance after good set-up play from Fraser MacLeod before Coasters goalkeeper Cameron Farquhar made a great save to keep out Grady McGrath’s header from Scott’s right-wing cross.
Botti Biabi and Kevin McHattie both went close with long range efforts and shortly after the half hour mark MacLeod side-footed another Scott cross wide from close range.
Five minutes before half-time Brechin doubled their lead with Scott heading home Kieran Inglis’ corner from the left at the back post.
On the stroke of half-time Lossiemouth’s chances were dealt a further blow as they were reduced to 10 men.
Brechin captain Jamie Bain wrestled Coasters defender Lewis McAndrew to the ground at a free-kick, after falling McAndrew raised his feet and appeared to catch Bain.
Referee Gordon Seago and his assistant didn’t seem to see the incident and blew for half-time, but following complaints from the visitors Seago then sent McAndrew off.
Differing views
Views on the incident in both camps differed.
Lossie interim manager Ian Campbell said: “We’ll see with the cameras what happened with the sending off. For me the referee didn’t see it, the linesman definitely didn’t see it.
“He only saw it after their management team went up and told him what had happened.
“I’m raging about that to be honest, it seems to be the bigger teams get to pressure the officials and we always come off on the wrong side of it.
“It might have been a sending off but nobody saw it and they’ve pressured them into doing it.
“Lewis will claim he’s innocent whatever, but it’s not so much about that.
“The fact is the referee didn’t see it, the linesman didn’t flag, the whistle was blown for half-time, their coaches went up to the linesman and suddenly it had all been seen.”
Kirk added: “I didn’t see it but some on the bench saw it, I think there was a kick afterwards, so I’m led to believe.
“That’s what the linesman’s there for, he saw it and they have to make the decision, but I never saw the kick itself.”
Visitors add late third
Lossie had seldom been seen as attacking force in the first half, but with a man less they had even more defending to do in the second period.
Their work-rate and commitment couldn’t be faulted and goalkeeper Farquhar helped keep the scoreline at 2-0.
He made two flying stops to deny Scott his hat-trick as well as parrying away Fraser MacLeod’s 18-yard drive.
But the most impressive save was in the 56th minute when Farquhar tipped Biabi’s netbound header onto the crossbar.
As time ticked down Lossie had a decent penalty claim for handball against Nathan Cooney turned before Dominik Naglik netted Brechin’s third in stoppage time with a header from Inglis’ corner.
Campbell added: “To lose the goal after eight seconds isn’t the start you want against Brechin, you want to keep it tight for the first 20 and try to frustrate them.
“We lost a really sloppy second goal, but in the second half the boys gave us everything, I can’t fault any of them.
“Cammy in goal was superb with four or five great saves to keep it at 2-0.
“I think we should have had a penalty at the end for handball, the only people that didn’t see it were the linesman and referee.”
