SECOND Division leaders Stirling Albion twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with Arbroath to maintain their five-point lead in the table. However, Brechin have crept up almost unannounced into second place following their 2-1 home win over Alloa. Jim Duffy's men can reduce the deficit to two points if they win their game in hand at Peterhead on Wednesday.
All the goals came in the first half at Forthbank with Bryan Scott heading the Gayfield men ahead early and Scott Robertson levelling on ten minutes. Scott nodded Arbroath ahead again only for the home side to draw level a second time through David M
cKenna.
Stirling boss Allan Moore said: "We seem to be in a habit of needing to lose a goal before we start playing, and it is a habit the players need to get out of quickly."
Brechin saw off Alloa 2-1 at Glebe Park to leap over their visitors, who now slip to fourth place. Wasps midfielder John Grant headed home in only four minutes with Duffy's side restoring parity with a Charlie King penalty before half time after Mark Docherty had been fouled by Scott Agnew.
Duffy was all set to replace striker Rory McAllister until he was talked out of it by assistant Kevin McAllister and he was glad he did when the former Inverness man thumped home from ten yards out in injury time.
Cowdenbeath beat Peterhead 5-0 at Central Park to move into third. Paul McQuade struck twice before half time, with Gareth Wardlaw netting a double and Jon Robertson also scoring in the second period.
Dumbarton won away for the second time in succession, Dennis McLaughlin giving them a 1-0 victory over East Fife.
Clyde fans' protests over manager John Brown seemed ill-timed as Brown's bottom-placed side saw off Stenhousemuir 2-1 at Broadwood. Steven Howarth put Clyde ahead before half time after the visiting Steven Thomson had been shown a straight red card for a crude challenge on Paul Stewart.
Clyde's Robert Halliday was dismissed for a second caution in the second half, but team-mate Willie Sawyers made it two with Craig Malloy hitting a late consolation for Stenhousemuir.
Brown said: "Demonstrations will not take away from a good win."
