City make their debut in the South Challenge Cup tomorrow afternoon as we welcome Pollok to the Carnegie Fuels Stadium at Glebe Park in what will be the first competitive meeting between the sides.
Pollok arrive in Brechin in impressive form and currently sit at the top of the Lowland League West. The Glasgow side opened their league campaign with three consecutive victories, defeating Troon, Renfrew and Dalbeattie Star before being held to a 2-2 draw away to Newton Stewart last weekend.
There are a couple of familiar faces in the Pollok ranks, with Jamie Bain wearing the captain’s armband and goalkeeper Patrick O’Neil also on the books. Bain played a key role in City’s historic 2022/23 Highland League title-winning campaign where he also skippered the side and similarly to O’Neil, developed a strong relationship with the City supporters.
TEAM NEWS
After coming off injured last weekend, Captain Euan Spark is likely to miss the next 4-6 weeks and he joins Spencer Moreland, Kieran Inglis, Kyle Bell, Adam Hutchinson and Corey Kirk on the sidelines. Lewis Martin will be assessed ahead of the game after missing out against Berwick Rangers.
MANAGERS COMMENTS
Reflecting on a thrilling 4-3 win over Berwick Rangers last week, Manager Andy Kirk said, “My view has probably changed since the game. At the time I was thinking about the way we started and goals we conceded were poor but I’ve been saying since pre-season it seems every mistake we are making just now is being punished. We are still missing a lot of players but they still fought their way back to level the game and then we suffered another setback before finding a way to win the game and it turned out to be decent day for us in the end. We need to be so much better with the chances we are conceding through individual mistakes and poor choices.
“We’ve been conceding first in every game and it’s been giving us an uphill battle. The loss of Sparky was a blow as we had to change the shape a bit but we should still be good enough to defend those situations. It’s a real setback losing another top player for a number of weeks. It’s a bit unfair on the young lads at the minute as we’re asking them to step up and although it’s a good experience for them, you’d prefer to feed them into the team when we’re strong and have good experience beside them to help them along. We’re fortunate to have the under 20’s who can bulk up the squad a bit.
Fraser Macleod grabbed a double after also netting in the opening league fixture against East Stirling. Andy added, “Getting goals is part of Fraser’s game and it’s a challenge for him now to continue that. He knows himself that last season his standards weren’t at the same level as they were the last time I was at the Club. He’s worked hard and he’s now got himself amongst the goals and taking shooting opportunities more often.”
Looking ahead to the cup tie against Pollok tomorrow, he said, “It will give us an idea of the level of the teams in the Lowland League West. Pollok are a well established side and they are top of the league for a reason. It’ll be a tough challenge but we’re at home and the players we have at our disposal will give it their best shot. I’m looking forward to seeing Jamie Bain again as he was brilliant for me for the two years he was at the Club.
“There are a few players that haven’t had as many minutes of late such as Finlay Simpson and Michael McQueen and we will make a decision on whether we put them as with the number of injuries we have at the moment we need to use every player and keep them as fresh as possible. We’ll also need to look after certain players who are nursing niggles as we need to keep them fit.”
ADMISSION INFORMATION
Tomorrow’s match kicks off at 3pm. Admission prices have been reduced to £10 for adults, £5 concessions (Aged 65+, students and 16/17 year olds) and FREE for U16’s. Please note season tickets are not valid. Digital tickets should be purchased at the following link – PURCHASE TICKETS
A cash/card gate will be available however supporters are advised to purchase their tickets in advance on fanbase.
With the Summer’s End Music Festival also taking place on the outskirts of Brechin this weekend, away supporters in particular are advised to allow plenty of extra time for their journey tomorrow. The festival is expected to bring a large number of visitors to the area so increased traffic and possible delays in and around the town should be taken into consideration.
CITY CLUB BAR
The City Club bar at the ground will be open to all supporters from 2pm and again following the match.
MATCH OFFICIALS
Tomorrow’s match referee is Calum Foreman, assisted by Duncan McLullich and Neil Brand.
LAST TIME OUT
City produced a remarkable comeback in our last fixture, fighting back from behind twice to defeat Berwick Rangers 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller. City were dealt an early blow when captain Euan Spark was forced off through injury before the visitors raced into a 2-0 lead. Fraser Macleod and Dale Hilson then hauled City level, but Berwick restored their advantage with just nine minutes remaining. Macleod struck again to make it 3-3 before Mitch Taylor completed a dramatic turnaround, netting the winner in the 89th minute to secure all three points for City.
Pollok, meanwhile, had to settle for a share of the spoils in their last outing as they drew 2-2 away to Newton Stewart in the Lowland League West. Olly Cameron and Bob McHugh were both on target for the visitors but they were unable to force a winner.
PREVIOUS MEETING
Tomorrow’s clash will be the first time the sides have met in a competitive fixture.
SPONSORSHIP
We’re delighted to have Summer’s End Music Festival as our match sponsor tomorrow. Taking place right here in Brechin over the weekend, the festival promises to bring some massive acts and plenty of entertainment to the town.
It’s a fantastic event for Brechin and the surrounding area and we’re delighted to support an occasion that showcases our town and brings people together. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making Summer’s End happen and we hope they have a fantastic weekend!
Preview by Steven Mew
