Brechin City vs Stenhousemuir

Match Report

Brechin City v Stenhousemuir at Glebe Park, Brechin on 04.05.21

SPFL League Two

Brechin City  Stenhousemuir McGuigan 79

Brechin City – O’Neil, Bollan [Page 60], Coupe, Inglis, Currie [McKee 74], Reekie, Hussain [McIntosh 60], Jordan, C.Paton [Slaven 65], McLevy and Devine [Barr h/t][b61]

Subs not used – Hutton, McIntosh, Page, Barr, Osman, McKee and Slaven

Stenhousemuir – Martin, Grigor, McQueen [Kane 59], Little, McCracken, Blair, Halleran, Hodge[Shiels 74], Hopkirk, Collins  and McGuigan.

Subs not used – Erskine, Biabi, Kane and Shiels

Referee – Gavin Ross                Assistants – Graeme Leslie and Ross Nelson.

At long last the Warriors season came to a conclusion with this game at Glebe Park. It hasn’t been the best of seasons performance wise or off the pitch as lack of fans at almost all of the games due to covid restrictions gave the season an unreal air to air. Add in a change of manager and a number of so called meaningless games after the split in the league it is safe to say that it is a reason best forgotten. Still it could be a lot worse as our opponents today are in the relegation play-off against either Kelty Hearts or Brora Rangers and this could be potentially our last league game for a while against our friends from Brechin.

A depleted side through various circumstances meant that Chris McQueen made his first league start for the club whilst Adam McCracken made his first bona fide league game as a signed player as his first appearance when he was taken to hospital with concussion against Stirling Albion in January was subsequently abandoned and thus was null and void.

In the early stages the best chance fell to Jack Hodge whose shot was saved by Paddy O’Neil in the 11^th minute after David Hopkirk headed a Thomas Halleran cross back across goal. A minute later Mark McGuigan would have expected to score when he was found unmarked 12 yards out but he seemed to trip over his feet going for the ball. O’Neil was proving to be the busier keeper and he had to save from Ryan Blair in the 20^th minute and from the corner Gregor Jordan cleared a McGuigan hook effort off the line. O’Neil once again saved in the 41^st minute after Josh Grigor pounced on a loose ball and from distance rifled in a shot that O’Neil did well to stop. A couple of minutes later Grigor had another effort but this time hit a wild shot out of the ground. In the last minute of the half Creag Little’s header was gathered at close range as another chance was not taken advantage of.

Bobby Barr came on at half time and he created Brechin’s first chance with a deep cross that Scott Reekie headed over in the 50^th minute and certainly the home side began to pressurise Stenhousemuir more in the early stages and Barr himself tested Paddy Martin in the 55^th minute. Martin was effectively a spectator in the first half but he was the busier of the two keepers in the second half.

With 15 minutes left Martin Shiels came on for his debut after being out through injury for most of the season and he made an instant impact with a burst of pace down the left flank before picking out McGuigan at the back post to fire home. That proved to be the vital goal as the Warriors ended the season with a win that took them back up to sixth in the league table with 26 points from the 22 games with seven victories using no less than 31 players with McGuigan and Biabi top scorers with 6 goals each.