Stenhousemuir FC v Brechin City

Match Report

Stenhousemuir v Brechin City on 12.10.13

SPFL Division One            Att 412

Stenhousemuir 3 [Gemmell 46, 63 Dickson 53]Brechin City 2 [McLean 14, A.Jackson 78]

There were two enforced changes to the starting eleven from the East Fife game with Ross McMillan and Darren Smith both absent through injury.  Ross McNeil came in for Smith whilst the defence was shuffled with Nicky Devlin returning to the right back berth and Eddie Malone moving to the centre back position.

It was a slow start by the Warriors in this game and Steven Jackson saw a free beaten down by Chris Smith in the fourth minute. Gradually however they got into the game and Sean Higgins and John Gemmell linked up in the ninth minute with the former having a shot cleared off the line by Paul McLean. This was followed a minute later by a Gemmell header that went wide from a Ross Smith cross.

Brechin looked to exploit the new defence and they almost succeeded in the 12^th minute when a long ball down the middle was met by Andy Jackson and his strike brought out a fine one handed save by Chris Smith. The keeper made another fine save from Allan Walker a minute later but he was helpless when the resultant corner was headed home by McLean.

The game was moving from end to end and Graeme Smith saved from Gemmell a minute later after a nice interchange of passes by Higgins and Dickson had opened the five man Brechin defence up. Dickson then saw a shot pushed out for a corner after McNeil had blocked a Brechin clearance.  Seconds later a half volley by Sean Lynch was tipped over by Graeme Smith.

After this frenetic spell to the game it settled down though Stenhousemuir were looked the livelier side attacking wise. The talking point before the end of the half was a running altercation between John Gemmell and Ewan Moyes that ended with both being cautioned though supporters from both sides would have felt that the opposition player was lucky to stay on the park.  

There were two further chances for Stenhousemuir before the end of the half as Bryan Hodge saw a strike well saved before McNeil shot just past the post as he stabbed at a loose ball.

Brechin would have felt hard done by when Gemmell equalised within a minute of the resumption, though there was a touch of good luck to the goal as a Dickson shot was deflected into his path and Gemmell’s strike took a further deflection by Graham Hay as the defender tried to clear the danger.

The Warriors took the lead in the 53^rd minute when McNeil charged down an attempted clearance and it created an opening for Dickson who took a touch to steady himself before thundering the ball into the top corner of the net. Stenhousemuir then scored a third in the 63^rd minute when Gemmell headed a Hodge corner into the net.

Brechin rung the changes to try and get back in the game with Bobby Barr and Derek Carcary coming off the bench as they went to a more attacking formation. Gemmell was denied a hat trick in the 74^th minute when Nicky Devlin picked him out in the middle but Graeme Smith was able to save as the striker failed to get any power into the shot. That was Devlin’s last positive play of the day as he was injured shortly after this and Brown Ferguson had to replace him. Before the sub came on though Brechin had reduced the lead when Andy Jackson struck after a free kick into the danger area was laid back to him.

This set up a needlessly tense finish to the game that should have been dead and buried.  The home side dropped deeper and deeper as the game progressed and it was a real back to the wall end to the game with eleven men behind the ball at times. This meant that there was no attacking option to give Brechin problems and they pushed hard for the equaliser.

It seemed an eternity before the referee blew the final whistle after just over four minutes stoppage time. Given the number of substitutions made and the fact that the referee had warned Stenhousemuir over time wasting on more than one occasion there could really be no complaints about the added time.

In the end though the Warriors held on for a victory where everyone fought hard to gain victory and on this occasion they were successful.  

Stenhousemuir –C.Smith, Devlin [Ferguson 79], McKinlay, R.Smith [b40], Malone, Hodge, Dickson [Anderson 83], Lynch, Gemmell [b39], Higgins [b89] [Nimmo 89] and McNeil. Subs not used – Watt, Douglas, Brash and Shaw.

Brechin City – Smith, S.Jackson, McLean, Hay, Moyes [b39], McLauchlan [Barr 68], Trouten [b28], Walker [Donnelly 86], A.Jackson, Anderson [b33] and Brown [Carcary 68]. Subs not used – Molloy, Tobin, Cameron and Nelson.

Referee – George Salmond         Assistants – Tom Murphy and David Cockburn