Hamilton 0-0 Brechin

Jan 13 2008 Alan Mcmillan At New Douglas Park

BATTLING Brechin have another shot at glory after giving the First Division pace-setters the fight of their lives.

Michael O'Neill's side more than held their own and even saw Darren Smith blow a chance to win it late in the second half.

But Hamilton were raging when a James McCarthy goal was controversially chalked off and also claimed an effort by Gary Twigg had crossed the line.

However, they will now have to accept a trip to Brechin's Glebe Park and go through it all again on Tuesday, January 22.

Accies boss Billy Reid had been at pains to stress before the match he would not underestimate the part-timers.

However, he certainly didn't field his strongest side - dropping regular playmaker Alex Neil and left-back Brian Easton to the bench and resting centre-half Mark McLaughlin and top scorer Richard Offiong.

With so many ties off there were a number of football personalities in the crowd - including SFA Chief Executive Gordon Smith.

Not so easy to spot was ref Stevie Nicholls whose black outfit didn't seem the best choice given Brechin were wearing a navy blue strip.

The Angus side found themselves under pressure from the start and Craig Nelson had two excellent saves inside the first five minutes to deny Twigg and James McArthur.

Opposite number Tomas Cernywas also called into action and did well to stop Stuart Callaghan after punching out a Kevin Byers corner.

McArthur should have had the opener in 15 minutes when Tom Parratt found him unmarked in the box but headed straight at Nelson.

Brechin were moving the ball well and came close five minutes later. Cerny again punched clear and David Murie's effort from the loose ball was deflected over the bar by defender Chris Swailes.

Accies had the ball in the net after 23 minutes when Twigg got his head to a Mark Gilhaney cross but the flag was up for offside against the striker.

Four minutes later Charlie King was shown a yellow card for dissent after a throw-in decision hadn't gone Brechin's way. And team-mate Scott Walker joined him in the ref's book seconds later for disputing the award of a corner to the home side.

McCarthy was next to threatenwith a surge into the box but he wasted his good work with a weak finish.

A frustrated Gilhaney had the last chance of the half but made a mess of his hurried shot fromdistance and Nelson wasn't troubled.

Ref Nicholls changed to a light blue outfit during the break but there was no switch of personnel by either side.

Hamilton emerged the brighter and Swailes headed inches over within minutes of the restart.

Twigg went for the spectacular when Parratt found him in the box but he fired his scissors-kick shot wide.

Murie became the third Brechin player to be booked in the 55th minute for scything down Gilhaney after the winger had skinned him.

And Accies thought they had taken the lead on the hour when the ref ignored an offside flag and allowed McCarthy to run through and score.

However, the official then had a chat with his linesman and decided to chalk the goal off.

In the 72nd minute keeper Nelson clawed out a Twigg header from David Graham's cross. The hitman claimed his effort crossed the line but the ref didn't agree.

Smith then escaped Swailes inside the box but with only Cerny to beat blasted his shot over the bar.

And minutes later Byers' shot was deflected past Cerny's goal as Brechin staged a powerful finish.