Brechin City reduced the gap on Buckie Thistle to six points with three games in hand over the league leaders following a 3-0 victory over Nairn County at Glebe Park.
First-half goals from Grady McGrath and Marc Scott and a goal four minutes from time from Botti Biabi wrapped up the points for Andy Kirk’s men. It was an accomplished and impressive performance from City and they thoroughly deserved their victory.
Both teams took time to settle but Brechin thought they had scored the opening goal after eight minutes when Biabi slotted home a Scott cross but the goal was ruled offside.
Biabi had a better opportunity to open the scoring eight minutes later when he was played in by Anthony McDonald but he blasted the ball over the bar from good position.
Brechin kept pushing forward and they grabbed the opening goal in the 21st minute when McGrath collected a pass from Jamie Bain and blasted the ball past Nairn keeper Dylan Maclean.
City doubled their lead four minutes before the break when Scott was on hand to blast home an inch-perfect cross from Kieran Inglis.
City should have increased their advantage six minutes after the break when the ball fell kindly for McGrath a couple of yards from goal but he fired it well over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
City were dictating play with Nairn finding it difficult to create anything tangible in the final third of the park.
FULL TIME | Brechin City 3-0 Nairn County
It’s a welcome 3 points for City this evening with goals coming from Grady McGrath, Marc Scott and Botti Biabi. pic.twitter.com/K4HbO7REhz
— Brechin City FC (@BrechinCityFC) March 22, 2023
City kept surging forward in search of a further goal with Kevin McHattie firing an 18-yard drive wide of the target with 13 minutes remaining.
It was one-way traffic towards the Nairn goal as the match drew to a close but City just couldn’t produce that killer touch in front of goal despite enjoying by far the lion’s share of pressure and possession.
However the third goal eventually arrived with four minutes remaining when substitute Ewan Loudon made a great run wide on the right which took him into the visitors’ box before he released Biabi who slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net.