Brechin City suffered first division play-off agony for the second season in succession when they were beaten 2-1 by Ayr United at Glebe Park.
The two sides drew 1-1 on Wednesday night at Somerset Park and the second leg of the final was deadlocked until Ayr substitute Jonathan Tiffoney, who had been on the pitch for seconds, turned the ball past his own keeper just before half-time.
Brechin’s promotion dream looked to be on track, but Ayr equalised with 12 minutes remaining through Mark Roberts, before substitute Michael Moffat broke City’s hearts when he fired home the winner in the 88th minute.
Brechin boss Jim Weir said, “It was terrible to lose it so late on. I did not think there was much between the two teams today but, if I am being honest, I thought Ayr were slightly better over the piece.
“Credit to them they were a goal behind today and dug in and we wish them all the best in the first division.
“Our players can be proud of themselves and what they have achieved. Everyone has played their part and we just have to come back stronger next year.”
Delighted Ayr boss Brian Reid said, “We looked a wee bit nervy, but our players showed great character to come back from going a goal down. We had nothing to lose and had three strikers on and I was just delighted to see Moffat hit the winner.
“Obviously, you have to feel for Brechin, but I am sure they will bounce back. We are now going to enjoy tonight before looking forward to next season.”
Weir made three changes from Wednesday, with Roy McBain, Gary Fusco and Neil Janczyk replacing Paul McLean, Mitch Megginson and Jordan Kirkpatrick. Reid kept faith with the same starting eleven from midweek.
The game which was preceded by a minute’s applause for former Brechin committee man Steve Mitchell, who passed away suddenly last Sunday kicked off five minutes late to allow Brechin fans into the ground.
However, it was Ayr, roared on by a substantial travelling support, who made an assured start in the opening quarter, while City, with Rory McAllister ploughing a lone furrow up front, were more cautious. With a gusting, swirling wind making it tricky for both sides to control the ball, chances were at a premium in the early stages with neither goalkeeper tested.
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However, it was Brechin stopper Craig Nelson who presented Ayr with a gilt-edged opportunity in the 24th minute when he hit an attempted clearance straight to Mark Roberts on the edge of his penalty area. With the keeper well off his line, Roberts tried a quick chip but the ball drifted wide of Nelson’s right post.
Ayr were forced into making a substitution five minutes before the break when former Dundee defender Jim Lauchlan possibly playing his last game of football before attempting to become a top-grade referee pulled his hamstring as he tried his luck with a shot from 18 yards. He was replaced by Tiffoney which proved a fateful substitution.
In the 44th minute, Fusco played a ball in from the Brechin right, which Ayr keeper Martin Alan looked to have covered. However, Tiffoney tried a pass back and, with the stopper off his line, the ball rolled agonisingly past him and into the back of the net to gift City the lead.
The second half was just four minutes old when McAllister finally created a chance for himself when he tied Eddie Malone in knots on the edge of the Ayr box before firing in a shot that Alan did well to turn away at his near post.
Brechin had obviously received a confidence boost from their goal, as was shown by McAllister attempting an audacious lob from the halfway line.
However, it was Ayr who had an outstanding chance to equalise when Tiffoney desperate to make amends for his earlier error made ground down the right before playing a perfect cross to the unmarked Stuart Brannigan, who blazed his shot over from 15 yards with the goal at his mercy.
Brechin then had an opportunity to put the game beyond Ayr when McAllister wriggled his way past three defenders down the Brechin left to find himself one-on-one with Alan, but he shot straight at the keeper with team-mates free and shouting for a pass.
Ayr then turned the screw, with two chances falling to Scott McLaughlin in the space of a minute. The Ayr midfielder had hit a shot from 18 yards, which Nelson was happy to parry wide for a corner. The ball was swung in and only half cleared to McLaughlin lurking on the edge of the box. This time, he hit a ferocious drive that looked certain to fly into the top corner, but Nelson flung himself to his right to pull off an incredible acrobatic save.
However, Nelson was left helpless in the 78th minute. Ayr’s Roberts battled away on the edge of the Brechin penalty area to win possession, then found himself with just the keeper to beat. He dummied to shoot, then took the ball round Nelson and calmly stroked it into the empty net.
Nelson came to City’s rescue in the 84th minute. He first made a great stop from an Andy Rodgers shot then pulled off an even better save to deny McLaughlin from the rebound.
However, McLaughlin was instrumental in the 88th-minute winner when he fired a cross in from the right to the feet of Moffat, who drilled a shot underneath Nelson and into the back of the net sparking wild scenes of celebration in the Ayr end, with supporters spilling over on to the pitch.
Those fans invaded en masse as referee Allan blew for full-time as the disconsolate Brechin players headed into their dressing-room to contemplate another season in the second division.
Albion Rovers sealed promotion to the second division despite a 2-1 defeat at Annan. Rovers won 4-3 on aggregate.