Ouzy See strikes twice as Edinburgh City continue fine start under Gary Naysmith

Ouzy See scored twice for Edinburgh City in Coatbridge.

The striker netted either side of half-time to hand manager Gary Naysmith his second triumph in the space of three days.

James McGowan had equalised for the struggling side from Coatbridge.

City move up one place to fourth, seven points off the pace of leaders Queen’s Park.

Naysmith made three changes to the side that had registered a 2-1 victory at Elgin at the weekend, Marc Laird, Josh Campbell and Rafa De Vita all making way for Alex Harris, Danny Handling and Andrew Black.

Former Hearts attacker Ryan Stevenson led the line for Albion.

Similar to the weekend’s victory in Moray, the visitors grabbed the lead inside the opening ten minutes.

After a stramash in the home side’s penalty box had forced a corner, skipper Craig Thomson delivered the pinpoint cross for Ouzy See to rise above his marker and send his looping header into the top right-hand corner.

Defender Liam Henderson is never short of a goal or two and his audacious effort from just inside the Albion half ensured goalkeeper Harry Stone had to be alert.

The hosts were given the ideal opportunity to test Calum Antell in the City goal on the half-hour mark when Lee Hamilton was adjudged to have fouled Matthew Aitken right on the edge of the 18-yard box.

Aitken took the kick himself but his effort was straight into the visitors’ wall much to the dismay of his team-mates.

City went close five minutes before the interval following McGowan’s infringement on Handling. Thomson went for goal himself which Stone had to palm away for a corner.

See thought he had his and the CItizens’ second just 60 seconds after the restart. Firstly, the athletic striker chased down the ball to earn his side a corner and, from Thomson’s outswinging cross, the ball dropped kindly to the former Albion man, who powered the ball towards goal only for Stone to somehow get a hand to his net-bound shot. It was a quite magnificent stop from the goalkeeper.

Stone’s heroics provided the home side with a platform to build on and they drew themselves level in the 56th minute when City failed to clear a David Cox free-kick, with McGowan on hand to bundle the ball past Antell.

Naysmith responded by taking off Handling and the ineffective Harris with De Vita and Darren Smith entering the fray.

But it was Albion who went closest to a second in the 66th minute when Aitken drew a smart stop from Antell from a tight angle.

However, City restored their advantage with 15 minutes remaining and it was that combination of Thomson and See that had Naysmith and his assistant Grant Murray leaping for joy on the touchline.

With the home defence totally exposed following a quick counter-attack, Thomson’s timely cross found See in acres of space and the 26-year-old directed his header beyond Stone to seal a precious three points.

Albion Rovers: Stone, Lynas, Sideserf, McGowan, Gallacher, McKernon, Wilson (Jamieson 81), Leslie, Aitken, Stevenson, Cox. Subs: Robinson, Ecrepont, Fagan, Wilson, Henry, Baker, Doherty.

Edinburgh City: Antell, Thomson, McIntyre, Black, Hamilton, L Henderson, Brown (Jardine 72), Handling (Smith 58), Harris (De Vita 58), See, Crane. Subs: Beveridge, Goodfellow, Newman, Denham, B Henderson.

Referee: Duncan Williams.