Alan Trouten scored the only goal as Brechin moved back into the play-off places but he admitted they were fortunate to win at Forthbank ahead of a massive match at Dunfermline tomorrow.
In a scrappy encounter of few clear-cut chances, Trouten converted a 61st-minute penalty after being tripped by Kevin McKinlay as he latched on to Andy Jackson’s header at a corner.
The former Queen’s Park man said: “I thought we were very poor but I was impressed by Stirling Albion.
“For a team at the bottom of the league they played some smashing football and if anyone deserved to win it was probably them.
“In the past this is a game we might have lost but there is a lot of character in this team and we are delighted with the win because it takes us back into the top four.
“The play-offs is the minimum we want to achieve five or six teams will feel the title is still up for grabs and we are one of them.”
Stirling were the better team in the first half and Graeme Smith denied Sandy Cunningham and Gordon Smith but Brechin improved after the break and held on comfortably after going ahead.
City boss Ray McKinnon said: “That was probably our poorest performance in the last 16 or 17 games but it was a great result.
“Stirling Albion took the game to us in the first half we improved a bit in the second half and the guys deserve credit for grinding out the result.
“It was really important to go into the two midweek games coming up against Dunfermline still on a good run and I thought our back four were outstanding.”
Stirling Albion manager Stuart McLaren said: “We should have got something from the game I don’t remember Greg Paterson having many saves to make.
“We deserved to be ahead at half-time but then gave away the penalty and that sums up the way the season has been going.”