Match Report - By John Hoey

MONTROSE 0 BRECHIN CITY 5

A Scott Dalziel hat-trick was the highlight of City’s 5-0 drubbing of Angus neighbours Montrose in Saturday’s pre-season friendly at Links Park.
City, with a littering of trialists in their ranks proved far too strong for the Gable Endies and further goals from Andy Jackson and Paul McLean merely underlined their superiority in a display which must augur well for the season ahead.
City grabbed the lead on the quarter of an hour mark when trialist Ryan Stewart picked up the ball wide on the right and pushed forward to the bye-line before cutting the ball back across the face of the goal for Dalziel who squeezed the ball into the net from close-range.
Craig Molloy had a further chance in the 25th minute but his 10 yard shot was blocked by Montrose full-back Sean Murdoch.
The hosts hit back three minutes later when Ewan Moyes had to look sharp to head away a dangerous cross from the right from Martin Boyle.
City though were looking dangerous every time they moved forward, and they doubled their lead in the 33rd minute.
Derek Carcary picked up the ball wide on the left and outpaced Murdoch before sending in a perfect cross right into the path of Dalziel who had little difficulty in slotting the ball home.
Carcary himself came close a couple of minutes later when his shot from just inside the penalty-area was palmed away for a corner by Sandy Wood.
Molloy tried a shot from 25 yards which went just wide of the post with five minutes of the first-half remaining and on the stroke of half-time a free-kick from Gable Endies full-back Kevin Browne was easily held by trialist goalkeeper Michael Andrews.
Montrose were first to threaten in the second-half when a 25 yard drive from skipper Steven McNally went narrowly past the post.
City hit back though and increased their lead ten minutes later.
Montrose substitute Scot Gordon gave away the ball to Gary Fusco who bore in on goal and fired in a shot which was parried by Wood into the path of Dalziel who had the simplest of taks in tapping the ball home.
In the 74th minute, Garry Brady played in Fusco on the left side of the box but he blasted the ball over the bar.
City were in full control and they went further ahead a minute later when a Paul McLean shot from the edge of the box took a defelection off a Montrose defender before entering the net past the stranded Wood.
Montrose tried to come back into the game but they were finding it very difficult to pierce a solid looking City defence although a Gary Wood shot from 20 yards was deflected for a corner with eight minutes remaining.
City though completed the scoring three minutes later when a great cross from the left from Fusco was volleyed home by Andy Jackson.