WELL done to BBC Alba for deciding to broadcast this play-off final live. The unadulterated entertainment and drama that was served up between Alloa and Brechin City was deserving of a wider television audience.
In the end, it was Brechin City who prevailed 5-4 on penalties to seal their place in next season’s Ladbrokes Championship following an 11-year absence from the second tier.
Yes, shoot-outs are cruel. But it almost seemed like the natural way for this tie to be decided given the 120 minutes of enthralling action that was played out.
There was ecstasy for Brechin as they celebrated with their fans on the pitch after James Dale scored the decisive spot-kick to seal victory. And there was agony for Alloa and in-particular hat-trick hero Greig Spence. He was one of two Wasps players to miss from 12 yards, Iain Flannigan the other.
“Last season with 10 games to go we were staring relegation in the face and we managed to stay up with an incredible effort, said Brechin manager Darren Dods. “This season with a few games to go we were sitting sixth and managed to get into fourth place on the last day. The board and the chairman Ken Ferguson stuck by me through a sticky spell and it’s a great day for them and the fans. It’s a great achievement to be going up.”
Already leading from the first leg courtesy of Elliot Ford’s strike, Brechin doubled their aggregate lead through the impressive Dale, who curled a stunning effort into the top corner.
Spence then dragged Alloa back into the tie, scoring a penalty before heading in Scott Taggart’s cross five minutes before the break.
City captain Paul McLean then atoned for giving away the penalty by heading in Willie Dyer’s corner before Spence added his third with a fantastic overhead kick.
There was further drama as Liam Watt put City back in the driving seat with a cool finish in the 78th minute but Dylan Mackin took the match into extra-time with a close-range header seconds later.
Extra-time couldn’t separate the teams and in a cruel twist, City striker Spence had his penalty saved by Graeme Smith, while Flannigan hit the post in sudden-death. That left man-of-the-match Dale to score the winning spot-kick to spark a pitch invitation from the travelling supporters.
“It’s the lowest I’ve felt in my 20 years as a professional,” said Alloa manager Jim Goodwin. “I can’t ever remember feeling as bad as this and I’ve suffered some relegations along the way.”
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