In their first home match since the middle of December, Peterhead delivered a disappointing performance that left the Balmoor faithful, not to mention Manager Neale Cooper, dismayed and wondering what had happened to the side that had recently produced two magnificent displays away from home.
Not for the first time this season, Cooper was left raging at a limp display after a terrific win at high flyers Cowdenbeath the previous Saturday.
Schoolboy errors in defence, lack of leadership and no pass marks for any of his players were some
of the comments Cooper made in the aftermath of game that had promised so much.
A win would have put the Blue Toon a single point behind fourth placed Brechin but that never looked likely and some clinical finishing by City saw them run out easy winners.
The one piece of positive news was the pre-match announcement of the signing of former Ross County striker Conor Grethin. The Irish striker was denied the chance to play as a trialist by the SFA but the hope is that he will add some much needed spark to a toothless forward line that never seriously tested Craig Nelson's goal in the entire ninety minutes.
Agony: Nicky Clark who appears to have fractured his wrist
Bobby Mann, who was suffering a recurrence of a knee injury, was sorely missed as the backline lacked leadership. Barry Wilson made his home debut and was the best of a bad bunch but the sponsor's choice of a City player as the man-of-the-match said it all.
A bad day was made even worse by the injury to the left wrist of Nicky Clark who appears to had fractured his Scaffoid and left the field after 10 minutes to be replaced by on-loan Rangers midfielder Paul Emslie.
The free kick which followed the challenge saw Graeme Sharp fail to trouble the visitors goal and a shot wide after 20 minutes by the same players was the nearest the home side came in a dull first half.
Brechin weren't much better but encouraged by their host's lack of enterprise, they came more into the game and took a 31st minute lead. Kevin Byers 20 yard shot took a massive deflection off Jonathan Crawford sending Paul Jarvie the wrong way.
New Blue Toon signing Barry Wilson in action on Saturday
Jarvie saved a Mark Docherty header just before the break but that lucky escape failed to inspire Peterhead after the break.
Martin Bavidge went close with a header from a Wilson cross soon after the re-start, Wilson had a weak effort on goal himself and Sharp sent in a volley on the turn. These half chances lead to nothing and a goal on the break by Brechin after 75 minutes came as no surprise.
One time Peterhead loan signing from Inverness, Rory McAllister, broke towards the centre of the home defence and his pass to his the left found the ever dangerous Charlie King who drilled a low shot into the bottom corner that looked a goal from the moment it left his boot.
Six minutes from the end, sponsors favourite McAllister deservedly got on the scoresheet himself with a powerful low drive from the edge of the area.
The Blue Toon welcome Stenhousemuir to Balmoor on Saturday for a match Cooper stated his side must win to keep their play-off hopes alive. The return of Mann and a debut for Grethin will hopefully inspire a much needed three points.
