Bottom club Brechin twice came from behind to earn a deserved win in the rain at Forthbank as we paid the price for a slack performance after a bright start.

Former St Modan’s High School pupil Lewis McMinn sealed the victory for City with an incredible effort from just outside his own penalty area to join the select band of goalscoring goalies.

We had gone into the match on the back of just one defeat in nine League 2 games while Brechin had lost every game since the 1-1 draw with the Binos at Glebe Park in early October.

James Creaney and Kevin Nicoll were again ruled out and Kevin Rutkiewicz named an unchanged line-up in the wake of the 2-1 win at Elgin the previous week.

The opening goal arrived in just seven minutes when Sean Heaver nipped in front of a defender to knock the ball past McMinn for his fifth goal of 2019/20. Paul Willis came close then David Wilson hit the post with a great effort but we allowed the visitors back into the game and Kieran Inglis beat Blair Currie with a low drive.

Albion were back in front in 36 minutes when Dylan Bikey did well on the left and crossed for Dylan Mackin, who seized on an error to sweep the ball into the net. It was 2-2 by the interval when Paul McManus confidently converted a penalty down the middle after Inglis had gone down in the box.

The second half was a big disappointment from a Stirling perspective. McManus had caused us a few problems and headed Mark Wilson’s men in front from a corner in 56 minutes before a nightmare moment 16 minutes from time saw Currie misjudge McMinn’s clearance and the ball bounced over him and into the net.

Stirling Albion: Currie, McGeachie, Thomson, Wilson (Wright 87), McLean, McGregor, Jardine, Bikey (Docherty 69), Heaver (Peters 63), Mackin, Willis. Subs (not used): Binnie (GK), Banner, Scott, Duffy.

Scorers: Heaver 7, Mackin 36

Brechin City: McMinn, Reekie, McIntosh, Brown, Hill, Page, Hamilton, Allan, McManus (Crawford 89), McCord, Inglis (Knox 83). Subs (not used): Sinclair (GK), Duncanson, McLaughlin, Watt, Ngoy.

Scorers: Inglis 31, McManus pen 40, 56, McMinn 74

Referee: Chris Fordyce

Crowd: 521