A disastrous start to the game left Brechin with too much to do on their League One visit to Stenhousemuir on Saturday.
Brechin failed to heed the warning of their management team as they found themselves 2-0 down in just six minutes. With manager Ray McKinnon unavailable, Brechin coach Darren Taylor voiced the obvious disappointment.
He said: It was very, very disappointing as we set things up in training and talked about it just five minutes before the start, then that happens.”
The first goal for Stenhousemuir came in the second minute, with Darren Smith heading home a perfect cross from Josh Watt.
The home side extended their lead in the sixth minute when a Ross McNeil cross wasn’t cleared properly and Sean Dickson pounced to fire home.
Brechin reduced the deficit in the 35th minute when Alan Trouten headed home a whipped cross by Steven Jackson.
Taylor added: “Just before we got the goal there was a great header by Craig Malloy and great save by the keeper, but we felt we had a chance to get back into the game.
“Second half we set out our stall to try and eradicate the flat defence that is there for everyone to see but lost another bad goal.”
That came when Josh Watt scored after City keeper Graeme Smith had saved his initial shot.
A penalty gave Brechin their second goal, with Trouten converting after the assistant referee gave the award for a foul on Andy Jackson with both management teams disagreeing about the decision.
Taylor said: “It looked a penalty but it then looked as if the referee had played on originally, and that gave us a boost to get back in the game, but it was not to be”.
Comeback hopes ended in the 74th minute when John Gemmell headed home a Kris Faulds free- kick to make it 4-2.