Match Report

MATCH REPORT
Stenhousemuir v Brechin City at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 2.3.19
SPFL Ladbrokes League One Att 452
Stenhousemuir 1 [Cook 52] Brechin City 1 [Orsi 7]

Stenhousemuir – Smith, Reid [b69], Marsh, Ferry , McGuigan [Dickson 73], Duthie [b11][so 71], Cook [Donaldson 90], Munro, Dingwall [so 27], McBrearty. and Hurst [Gibbons 87] Subs not used – Halleran,, Watters and McMinn.

Brechin City – O’Neill, McLean, McGeever, Hill [b71], Orsi, Jackson, Smith, Toshney, Robertson [b90], Kavanagh [Jamieson 53] and Scobbie [b87]. Subs not used – Bowman, Spark, Lynas, Miller and J.Tapping

Referee – Craig Napier Assistants – Graham Chambers and Simon McLean

For the second game in a row the talking point for the game centred round a match official. Unlike the Stranraer game though this one centred around the performance of the match referee Craig Napier.

The game between the bottom two sides saw the points shared at the end of the day and both teams in some ways will feel that it was a missed opportunity to secure a win against their closest contenders.
The visitors started brightly and took the lead in the 7th minute of the game. An Andy Jackson shot was blocked but fell to Kalvin Orsi who had got the wrong of his marker and was able to tuck the ball into the net.

As the game progressed the Warriors began to have chances and a long range effort by David Marsh dipped just too late and went over the bar. A minute later a McGuigan strike failed to get any curl and went wide of the mark.

The task for Stenhousemuir was made harder in the 26th minute when Russell Dingwall was sent off for violent conduct at a corner kick which saw Patrick O’Neill receive treatment. No one really seen what happened but the conversation afterwards appeared to indicate that the Warrior was hard done by and that any contact was accidental. Despite this setback it was the home side who threatened most and Greg Hurst saw a header saved and then a Connor Duthie corner was cleared off the line,

The half time interval came with Brechin still ahead and the referee was met with a barrage of boos as he left the field.

Stenhousemuir continued to press after the resumption and Duthie had another effort saved before the Warriors eventually secured a deserved equaliser. A Hurst cross was just too high for McGuigan but Alan Cook was able to gather the ball and drill a shot across goal and into the net. Conor McBrearty then saw an effort spilled by O’Neill. Jackson headed over on the hour mark for Brechin. Tempers flaired when Dougie Hill caught Hurst with an elbow and was cautioned when he could have been sent off. A minute later a red card was shown but it was once again to a Stenhousemuir player when Conner Duthie received his second caution of the day, the first one looked very soft to be honest.

Despite having a two man advantage Brechin rarely looked as if they would break down a well drilled home defence. There were a couple of early scares with Smith making a superb save from Scott Robertson and this was followed by a penalty claim when Sean Dickson blocked a cross and Brechin appealed that a hand had been used. No award was forthcoming but the way things had been going no one would have been surprised if a spot kick had been given.

With six minutes remaining the Warriors almost snatched victory when Alan Reid started a counter attack that ended with McBrearty being picked out by Hurst but the youngsters shot was saved.It is not very often that a team has two players dismissed and is disappointed not to win but this was one such occasion.