Brechin City manager Gavin Price praised his side’s relentlessness as they stayed top of the Breedon Highland League by beating Forres Mechanics.
The Hedgemen had to come from behind before eventually running out 6-1 winners against the Can-Cans.
Brechin are three points ahead of Fraserburgh and Buckie Thistle – who have a game in hand – at the top of the division.
In a tight title race goal difference could become a decisive factor.
With two games left City are eight ahead of the Broch and nine clear of the Jags on goal difference.
Price was pleased with how his charges pushed on in the second half against Forres and said: “It was good.
“We had an early setback going a goal behind which has happened a few times.
“But we responded well to it. From half an hour onwards I thought we dominated the game and had a good energy about us.
“It was a good performance. You’ve got to win the game first and foremost.
“When you start thinking about goals it can distract you from controlling a game and you’ve got to get the balance right.
“I think we did in the second half and there was a real good energy about us to keep going and create chances.”
In the first half an hour Forres kept Brechin’s forwards quiet and posed a threat on the counter-attack themselves.
It was from one quick break that the Can-Cans broke the deadlock in the ninth minute.
Goalkeeper Corey Patterson’s long ball forward fell for Sam Gordon, who outpaced the home defence, and calmly finished into the bottom left corner.
City respond
As the interval approached the Hedgemen clicked into gear and equalised in the 35th minute.
Fraser MacLeod did well to evade a couple of challenges and find Grady McGrath on the right side of the area and he duly found the opposite bottom corner.
Four minutes later City took the lead when Seth Patrick wriggled out of Craig MacKenzie’s challenge and fired a 25-yard drive into the bottom left corner.
Early in the second period McGrath was denied at close range after Matthew Wright’s cross had been parried by Patterson.
At the other end goalkeeper Lenny Wilson’s perfectly-timed slide tackle prevented Can-Cans sub Kieran Hayller – the replacement for the lively Calum Frame who sustained a first half ankle injury – being left with an open goal.
Shortly after the hour mark Brechin’s third arrived. Jamie Richardson’s cross from the right was knocked home by Wright at the front post.
Unfortunately for the Ross County loanee he collided with McGrath after scoring and had to come off with an ankle knock.
Midway through the second period Brechin made it 4-1. Patterson saved Ewan Loudon’s attempt from Kevin McHattie’s left wing cross, but MacLeod was on hand to stab the rebound into the net.
Forres nearly pulled one back with Mark McLauchlan’s shot appearing destined for the top left corner, but Wilson made an excellent save.
In the 71st minute the Hedgemen made it five when Sam Nixon turned sub Craig Tosh’s low cross from the right into his own net.
Loudon then hit the crossbar from 10 yards before Brechin got number six in the 87th minute. Sub Anthony McDonald’s free-kick from the right was diverted into his own net by Calum Howarth under pressure from Euan Spark.
Tough afternoon for Can-Cans
Forres boss Steven MacDonald said: “It ended up a tough result for us, but in the first half I thought it was really positive.
“For the first half an hour we did really well and Brechin didn’t really cause us any problems.
“Until Calum Frame had to go off he was looking lively and was causing problems on the counter and we scored a good goal.
“But once Calum went off we were down to the bare bones and it was tough. We had a couple of under-18s who played 90 minutes on Friday night and had to come on.
“They did well, but it’s tough for them. We lost disappointing goals in the second half, but Brechin were in the ascendancy and going for the league and that can happen.”
