The lanky striker who left Glebe Park midway through last season was only one of several impressive performers in the Morton ranks that knocked City out of the Bell’s Cup second round.
In the fifth minute Lilley was clear on an Andy McLaren through ball and, with Brechin half heartedly claiming offside, it took a good save by Craig Nelson to block the shot.
Two minutes later Charlie King burst past his marker only to shoot wide of the Morton goal.
An even better chance fell Grant Johnson’s way in the 12th minute but from just outside the box he volleyed past.
As the game approached its second quarter Morton began to stretch the home defence.
Nelson made a fine stretch high to his left to push away a McLaren shot.
The goal came in the 28th minute when from a low Lilley cross Templeman had the easiest of tasks to sweep the ball into the net.
Steve Hampshire headed wide from a King cross then Darren Smith should have equalised when the ball broke to him just 12 yards out only for him to swing wildly and send the ball wide of target.
In the 43rd minute Morton went two up when Templeman turned City’s right flank inside out and chipped the ball to the far post where Lilley was unchallenged to nod home.
In the 59th minute Ryan Harding was booked for taking down King.
Paul Deas was booked for a foul on Templeman who continued to be a handful in the second half and had a shot blocked by Nelson and another attempt from an acute angle cleared off the line by Craig McEwan in the 63rd minute.
A Mitchell cross was blocked by a defender and from close range Smith snapped a volley over.
After Templeman rattled the Brechin woodwork, City’s created their best move of the match in the 84th minute when a flick on by Paul Ritchie gave King the chance to cut past a posse of Morton defenders only to volley over from directly in front of goal.
King’s miss was Brechin’s final play and in the dying minutes it took to tremendous saves by Nelson to prevent Morton substitute Jason Walker from scoring.
“Disappointing, especially at home,” said City manager Dick Campbell. “We were a bit behind the game tonight.
“I thought we played with a bit of complacency, and it annoyed me.
“We can’t afford to shut off and lose really soft goals—but the boys know that themselves.
“We need to get a bit of the rub of the green, but we can now concentrate on the league.”
The Courier
Striker Chris Templeman inspired Morton to a Bell's Cup victory against his former club Brechin.
The visitors went ahead in the 29th minute when a low cross from Derek Lilley was swept home by Templeman.
And two minutes before half-time, Templeman twisted and turned on the left before crossing for strike partner Lilley to head home a second.
Morton continued to dominate and Templeman had a shot cleared off the line and later hit the post.
BBC Online