Defender Paul McLean scored against his former club as we hit back to earn a point at Glebe Park and draw for the third week in a row.

Paul McManus put City in front early in the second half but McLean grabbed the equaliser and we should have gone on to win, with Darryl Duffy and Cammy Thomson both hitting the crossbar.

The result means we end the first quarter bottom of the table, with the next match in League 2 not until October 26, when second-placed Cowdenbeath visit Forthbank.

Binos boss Kevin Rutkiewicz was without Josh Peters, Dylan Bikey, Dylan Mackin, Jordan Lowdon and Gareth Rodger but Paul Willis returned to the squad. Sean Heaver and Cammy Thomson both started after impressing as substitutes against Stenhousemuir the previous week.

This was the first league meeting between the teams since 2014/15 but there wasn’t much to get excited about in the first half – Blair Currie made a fine save from a McManus header and Lewis McMinn produced a decent stop from Thomson at the other end.

City took the lead 90 seconds after the interval when McManus was unmarked in the box to head a Chris McLaughlin cross firmly past Currie. Dougie Hill came close as Mark Wilson’s side chased a second goal then McManus nodded wide but we equalised midway through the half.

Thomson hung up a cross from the right and McLean – who spent a decade at Glebe Park – sent a header over McMinn for his first Albion goal.

The last 20 minutes was nearly all Stirling pressure. David Wilson sent a free-kick just wide, Duffy nodded against the bar from close range and a Willis corner was scrambled clear.

We almost won it two minutes into stoppage time when Thomson turned and smashed the ball towards goal but it crashed back off the bar.

Brechin City: McMinn, Reekie, McLaughlin (Ngoy 78), Brown (Watt 41), Hill, Page, Knox (Hamilton 65), Allan, McManus, McCord, Inglis.
Subs (not used): O’Neil (GK), Duncanson, Crawford, Reid.

Goal: Paul McManus 47

Stirling Albion: Currie, McGeachie, Creaney, Thomson, McLean, McGregor, Jardine, Nicoll, Heaver (Willis 82), Wilson, Hawke (Duffy 64).
Subs (not used): Binnie (GK), Truesdale, Banner, Docherty, Wright.

Goal: Paul McLean 68

Referee: John McKendrick

Crowd: 451