Match Report - By John Hoey

Brechin City 3 Queens Park 1

Brechin City collected their first league victory of 2017 after a hard fought but deserved 3-1 victory over Queen's Park at Glebe Park.

City had to come from behind in order to achieve this victory with Bryan Wharton firing the visitors in front after just four minutes on the clock but City hit back immediately with Ally Love levelling three minutes later with Dougie Hill heading home a second goal in the 25th minute.

Queens had spells of sustained pressure on the City goal after the break but the City defence stood firm and the hard working home side got their reward deep into injury time when Andy Jackson fired home the decisive third goal.

City started the match in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Graeme Smith in goal and a back four of Chris O'Neil, Paul McLean, Dougie Hill and Willie Dyer with Gary Fusco and James Dale in midfield and just in front of them, Liam Watt, Finn Graham and Ally love with Andy Jackson up front.

City were first to threaten in two minutes when Liam Watt took advantage of a defensive slip to fire in a shot but Queens keeper William Muir stuck out a leg to block the shot.

The Spiders hit straight right back and they grabbed the lead a couple of minutes later. Jamie McKernon flighted in a free-kick from 25 yards straight into the City danger area and full-back Bryan Wharton was on hand to slot the ball past Smith.

City went straight back onto the offensive and they levelled the match in the seventh minute. Willie Dyer made ground on the left and delivered a right-foot cross into the box for Liam Watt who played in Ally Love who blasted a left-foot drive past Muir.

City were unfortunate not to take the lead in the 25th minute when Jackson forced his way past a couple defenders before laying the ball back for Love whose shot struck the leg of the keeper before coming back off the post but but City had better luck seconds later when Watt delivered the resultant corner straight to Dougie Hill who powered a header past Muir.

City almost made it 3-1 with five minutes of the first-half remaining when Love played a good ball forward to Finn Graham but the ball was whipped from his feet at the last second by Ryan McGeever and seconds later Hill played a great cross-field pass to Jackson who steered his shot just wide of Muir's left-hand post and Jacko came close again a couple of minutes before the break when he collected a pass from James Dale and drilled in a shot which was cleared off the line by Adam Cummins.

City had the first opportunity of the second-half in the 48th minute when Watt collected the ball wide on the right and moved across the face of the penalty area before firing in a left-foot drive which was just wide of the post.

Queens then broke quickly from defence to attack with Anton Brady steering a right-foot drive well wide of the target and they came a lot closer on the hour mark when Chris O'Neil headed a long-range effort from Cummins past the post. The visitors then forced three corners in quick succession as they attempted to grab the equaliser.

City then pushed back into attack and Gary Fusco flighted a long cross forward for Love but his header was well wide of the target. The visitors broke quickly again with Brady firing a low drive past the post. Queens then made the first substitution of the match with the aforementioned Brady being replaced by Kalvin Orsi in the 66th minute. City then moved forward again with Muir bringing off a great save to deny Jackson.

The match was swinging from end to end with City desperate to clinch what would undoubtedly prove to be the decisive third goal while the Spiders were equally desperate to grab the equaliser.

Queens then made the second substitution of the match in the 74th minute with David Galt replacing Paul Woods and City followed suit a minute later with Aron Lynas coming on for Ally Love and in the 78th minute Queens made their final substitution with Ross Millen being replaced by Aidan McIlduff.

Queens at this stage of the match were enjoying the lion's share of pressure and possession but the home defence superbly marshalled by McLean and Hill were holding firm and with just a minute remaining keeper Smith came to City's rescue diving low to hold a header from McIlduff.

However, deep into injury time City scored that decisive third goal when Liam Watt broke from defence and pushed forward before releasing Jackson who dispatched a low right-foot drive past Muir.

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