Brechin City 0 - 2 Alloa Athletic: Alloa take play-off advantage

Scorers: Alloa - McCord (40), Moon (56)

Referee: B Madden

Attendance: 582

Goals on either side of half-time by Ryan McCord and Kevin Moon proved the difference against a Brechin side who failed to rise to the occasion.

Alloa dominated much of the early proceedings but there were few chances to be had.

The first genuine chance fell to McCord following a quick Alloa counter-attack but he blazed his shot over after being picked out by Kevin Cawley.

Brechin’s response came through Graeme Hay’s powerful header which was well held by Scott Bain.

It was an isolated moment of hope for the Angus side as the Wasps were soon buzzing about the home goal where McCord’s corner sparked mayhem in the Brechin defence.

Several opportunities to clear the ball were missed before Calum Elliot seized on the loose ball and shot just wide.

McCord then hit a curling shot from the edge of the box which looked to be heading in. However, the effort cannoned off an upright and fell for Moon whose effort was too high.

Brechin hit back when Derek Carcary cut in from the right wing and struck a powerful 25-yard shot which drew an athletic diving save from Bain, who managed to tip it over the bar.

Alloa then worked the ball to Stephen Simmons from a corner but his shot from the edge of the box was just over the bar.

However, five minutes from half-time the visitors broke the deadlock when McCord was upended in the box by Hay. The midfielder dusted himself down to take the spot kick which was parried by Michael Andrews but McCord reacted quickest to sweep the rebound into the net.

Alan Trouten almost leveled for Brechin before the break but saw his effort held by Bain.

The second half started off slowly with few chances for either side. But it livened up after 12 minutes when Kevin Moon picked an Elliot pass 25 yards out and unleashed an unstoppable volley past Andrews.

Jonathan Brown had a strike from the edge of the box five minutes later which nearly deceived Bain after taking a deflection but the keeper manage to tip it over.

Alloa had two chances in as many minutes from Elliott and Kevin Cawley. Both had shots from the left side of the box. Elliot hit a powerful strike at goal which the keeper caught and Cawley flashed his just wide.

In the 74th minute Trouten made space for himself on the left wing and sent a dangerous inswinging cross which hit the inside of the post before being cleared.

Brechin came so close to pulling a goal back in the 85th minute as Andy Jackson’s shot from inside the box beat the keeper but Stephen Simmons was on the line to clear.

The Glebe Parkers had another chance in the last minute as Ewan Moyes rose to meet a cross but Bain held.

Brechin City: Andrews; Pursehouse, Hay (McLauchlan 65, Moyes, Brown (brady 69), Trouten, Cameron, J Stewart, Ferguson, Jackson, Carcary (McKenna 59). Unused Subs: R Stewart, Nelson.

Alloa Athletic: Bain; Doyle, Marr (Docherty 59), Gordon, Meggatt, Moon, Simmons, McCord (Grehan 86), Holmes, Elliot (Young 81), Cawley. Unused Subs: Tiffoney, McDowall.