Brechin City boss Andy Kirk insisted getting the three points was the most important thing after the champions narrowly beat fellow title hopefuls Brora Rangers 2-1 in a competitive early-season encounter at Glebe Park.
Despite the closeness of the final score-line, City should have won the match by a far greater margin, missing three gilt-edged opportunities in the second-half.
However, Kirk was delighted to see his side come away with a victory against a team who are sure to be challenging with them this term.
“Winning the match and getting three points was by far the most important thing,” Kirk said.
‘There were some good aspects to our play, but we looked a wee bit tired and lethargic at certain points in the match. We’re normally a bit sharper and play with more conviction and that was apparent in the opening 45 minutes.
“However, after the break we missed three chances within the space of five minutes which could have put us out of sight.
“When you’re only a goal ahead, there is always the risk that you can be pegged back, but thankfully that didn’t happen today.
“We defended well when Brora applied some pressure and I was delighted to come away with three points.”
City grabbed the opening goal in the 31st minute when Grady McGrath was on the spot to slot home a pass from Spencer Moreland.
However, City’s lead lasted barely three minutes, as Jordan MacRae tapped home the equaliser following a cross from strike-partner Andy Macrae.
City grabbed the lead for the second time in the 62nd minute when a superb pass from debutant Ryan Ferguson found McGrath, who pushed forward and fired in a shot which came back off the post.
Luckily for City, Marc Scott was following up to blast the rebound into the roof of the net.
McGrath (twice) and Scott then passed up three great opportunities to put the game out of sight, and City nearly paid the penalty for those misses as Brora piled on the pressure in the closing stages – but the hosts held on for a victory which was just about deserved.
Brora manager Ally MacDonald took a number of positives from the match, despite the Cattachs’ defeat.
“It was always going to be tough coming here as we know the quality that Brechin possess,” he said.
“I thought that we played some good stuff at times, but in that final third, especially in the closing stages, the ball just didn’t fall for us as we huffed and puffed in search of an equaliser.
“The chances we gave away came from our own mistakes in my view, which is something we’ll have a look at and try and rectify.
“All in all, I thought that it was a really decent game with good football played from both sides, which unfortunately we just came out on the wrong side of.
“It was a disappointing day, but this result won’t define our season. There’s a long way to go, so we’ll dust ourselves down and be ready to go again.”
Turriff United 1 – Keith 2
Keith earned their first win of the season – a fine second half double securing a 2-1 victory over Turriff United at The Haughs.
In a match which entertained throughout, Maroons defenders Lewis Coull – who only turned 19 last week – and co-skipper Ryan Robertson produced the goals which did the trick for the visitors, hoisting them up into 10th spot in the Breedon Highland League in the process.
Keith manager Craig Ewen said: “It was great to get the three points on the board from a typical, real blood and thunder Highland League game which we’re getting at the moment.
“Both sides had chances in the first half and we said at half-time the first goal would be vital.
“Us getting it gave us the platform to go on and win the game.
“The second goal gave us a wee bit of a cushion, but then we lost a cheap goal with 15 minutes to go.
“It’s all hands to the pump after that, but there was a lot of togetherness and everybody played their part – I was delighted with the work ethic of the whole team and there were a couple of really good individual performances as well.”
The first half remained goalless mainly due to fine saves from Turra’s David Dey and Keith’s Craig Reid.
Dey denied Mikey Taylor with a fine stop, while Reid was at full stretch to deny John Allan.
Turra goalie Dey was also alert to catch a deflected shot on the goal-line, before Reid then excelled when diving to turn a well-struck Jack McKenzie free-kick round his post.
Young Coull, a half-time replacement for the injured Ethan Smith, broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute, slamming a low 15-yarder home at a corner.
The visitors doubled their lead in the 70th minute when a deflected Nathan McKeown shot was clinically converted by Robertson.
But within two minutes Turra ensured a nailbiting end for the visitors when a massively deflected Callan Gray shot crossed the line.
Disappointed Turriff manager Dean Donaldson said: “The more the game went on, the more Keith came into it.
“Both their goals came from set-pieces and it was disappointing the manner we conceded.
“On another day we might have scored some of the chances we created, but it just didn’t happen.
“We lacked something and Keith had more desire and heart.
“It’s a learning curve, but boys maybe think they are better than they are, and in the end we got what we deserved.”
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