Match Report - By Keith Johnston

Brechin manager Ian Campbell kept faith with the same eleven players who defeated Stranraer two weeks ago. Today’s game was a must-win for Morton as defeat would leave them 13 points behind City. Of course there was the added significance to this fixture of it being Chris Templeman’s first match against his former club. The sun shone brightly on the Cappielow surface in conditions pretty much perfect for football.

Morton started the game quite brightly, their players obviously aware of how significant a match it was for them. Craig Nelson was nearly left with egg on his face in the seventh minute when he slid to gather an over-hit through ball, but somehow spilt the ball. Jason Walker picked up the loose ball and passed across goal, but fortunately City had enough defenders back to spare their keeper’s blushes.
Moments later we saw our first glimpse (for a few weeks) of what Chris Templeman is capable of when he found Paul Walker out wide. His ball to the far post was met with a powerful header which Nelson again failed to handle convincingly, but this time the ball broke to safety.
Just past the quarter hour mark, John Adam had a shot at goal from range but this time it was straight at Nelson and his handling was spot on.
Brechin had started the game in reasonable fashion, winning a couple of early corners and enjoying some decent spells of possession. But the first real chance of the game didn’t come until the 28th minute when a long ball by Craig Nelson was flicked on by Paul Ritchie to Stuart Callaghan. The ex-Alloa man’s shot was straight at the keeper, but it was a good, intelligent run to get into the position in the first place.
Five minutes later, Callaghan was the provider. He supplied a dangerous looking ball to the far post from a free-kick on the right, but it was just too high for Davie White.
With ten minutes remaining in the half, home keeper David McGurn was forced into his first major save of the game. Graham Gibson hit the shot from 25 yards out which took a deflection and looped goalward, but McGurn got back to tip over the bar.
This occurred with City temporarily down to ten men because Steve Hamilton got a boot in the face and had to leave the field for treatment. He was eventually deemed unfit to continue and Jamie Smith came on.
Just before the break, Chris Miller drove into the box promisingly for the home team but a superb last ditch tackle by David White halted his progress at the expense of a corner. The set-piece wasn’t brilliantly dealt with, but it found its way behind for a goal kick and that turned out to be the last real action of what had been a fairly evenly contested first half.

Both sides came out fired up for the second half and the first few minutes were real end-to-end stuff with both sides having chances. A shot from distance had Craig Nelson scrambling across his goal in the 48th minute, but it went narrowly wide.
But Brechin were playing the better football of the two sides in the second half, and took a well-deserved lead in the 57th minute. Craig Nelson’s long ball forward was flicked on by Paul Ritchie into the path of Steve Hampshire. “Hamps” got the ball under control and slammed it past McGurn into the corner of the net.
Morton responded a few moments later with a strike from the edge of the box, set up by Chris Templeman, that Nelson had to be at his best to tip over the bar.
Brechin continued to play the better football in the second half though and almost grabbed a second in the 69th minute. Craig Winter – magnificent as usual in the middle of the park – drove forward and found King on the right. He combined brilliantly with Jamie Smith before crossing for Steve Hampshire whose header hit the top of the bar and went over. The best move of the match and it really deserved a goal.
Three minutes later Brechin were given a reminder by their hosts that they weren’t out of it yet. Jim McAllister put in a teasing cross that Templeman stretched to reach. Fortunately it just eluded big “Sanny” and fell into the grateful arms of Nelson.
Morton had introduced their signing from Livingston, Scott McLaughlin, but he almost added to their problems by losing possession to Winter in his own penalty area. “Toorie” was forced wide though and could only fire his shot across goal and out for a throw at the other side.
As we entered the final ten minutes or so, Morton were running out of ideas and City continued to be the better team. With five minutes remaining, the three points were wrapped up, courtesy of a killer second goal.
Charlie King took a corner short to substitute Kevin Byers who cut inside and hit a rasping drive that McGurn was unable to hold. The ball broke to Steve Hampshire who was surrounded by defenders and passed it back to Byers. He made some space for himself before returning the ball to Hampshire, who did the rest with a neat finish. Morton’s fans had been discretely sneaking out prior to this, but it was the cue for them to head for the exits en masse, having watched the team they keep saying “should be in the first division” played of the park by a superb Brechin team performance.
To their credit, their players didn’t give up. Chris Templeman had a shot at goal just after the kick-off, but Craig Nelson saved before Davie White booted the loose ball behind for a corner.
In the last minute, they had the ball in the net, but the assistant referee’s flag was up for offside – which pretty much summed up their day.
But if anything, Brechin came close to matching their result at Cappielow earlier in the season. Hampshire found King in the box with a throw-in and “Chuckie” tried to chip the goalkeeper, but McGurn touched the ball behind. Brechin were able to waste a few valuable moments of stoppage time with the resultant corner and eventually the referee duly blew for full-time.

So overall, a magnificent day for Brechin. The performance was superb and dealt a major blow to the full-time men from Greenock. The biased home sponsor gave the man-of-the-match award to one of their players, but in truth they would have been within their rights to pick anyone in a red shirt, so the easiest thing was to give it to a home player.
Brechin’s brilliance was added to by Stranraer, without the departed David Graham, being demolished by Stirling. Ironically though, it will give hope to Morton who, on this basis of today’s display, would bite the hand off anyone who offered them second place.
The day’s action leaves City 5 points clear of the men from Stair Park and 13 plus a game in hand clear of Morton in third. The league is certainly City’s to throw away now.
Next week, Ian Campbell’s men will be able to put league business to one side though, as they travel to Edinburgh to face Hibs in the Scottish Cup. Doubtless there will be a bigger travelling support for that one than there was today, but next week will take something special to match the sense of satisfaction in the minds of City’s supporters as they left Greenock today.

Other Results - Bell's League Division 2

Alloa Athletic 4 Dumbarton 2

Alloa's good run continues with a victory over Dumbarton.

Arbroath 2 Ayr United 0

Arbroath surprise Ayr with a fine win at Gayfield.

Forfar Athletic 0 Berwick Rangers 2

Berwick leave Station Park with all three points as Forfar's improved recent run comes to an end.

Stranraer 0 Stirling Albion 3

Stirling come back on form with a bang as Stranraer are demolished 3-0.