Irn Bru League Three                      Att 447

 

Stenhousemuir 1 [Motion 36]     Montrose 3 [Ovenstone og 21, Hunter 47,75]

 

This game was described by manager John Coughlin as the worst in his time at Ochilview and it was certainly one of the poorest performances this season as the Warriors unbeaten home record collapsed in no uncertain terms.

Going into this game Stenhousemuir had signed two players Chris McLeod from Montrose and Iain Diack from Brechin City but it was only Diack that participated due to a gentlemans agreement between Stenhousemuir and Montrose that prevented McLeod making his debut against his old club.

 

Montrose under the stewardship of Steven Tweed the recently appointed player manager looked lively from the start and a free kick by debutant Gordon Pope on loan from Dundee United was headed just wide by Roddy Hunter in the 5^th minute. A minute later there was another scare for the home side when Scott Bennett slipped whilst collecting the ball but managed a scrambled recovery  before David Cox took advantage. In the 7^th minute Diack headed over but in the main the play was in the Stenhousemuir half as the defence was being stretched and Montrose should have taken the lead in the 16^th minute when Keith Gibson blasted over from the edge of the box. Stenhousemuir were making sporadic attacks and Kevin Motion saw a curling shot go just wide three minutes later.

 

Montrose eventually took the lead in the 21^st minute when the unfortunate John Ovenstone slid in to clear a Stephen Black cross but only succeeded in turning the ball into his own net.  Referee Dougie McDonald failed to take action on Cox after he attempted to slap Stevie Ferguson in the face after the pair had been involved in a tackle.  The Warriors equalized against the run of play in the 36^th minute when a long throw in by Ovenstone was won in the box by Ferguson and when the ball squirmed out to Motion he struck a first time effort high into the net.  Both sides had chances to score before half time with Hunter missing the target with a header from close range and Andy Shirra testing Tony Bullock with a well executed half volley. It was Stenhousemuir who would have been happiest to go into the interval all square as it gave them a chance to regroup.

 

Within a couple of minutes of the resumption Montrose took the lead once again through another bad goal for the Stenhousemuir personnel as Chris Hegarty was allowed to drive a cross from the right touchline to the back post to an unmarked  Hunter who headed the ball back across goal and into the net. Cox was still causing havoc in the home ranks and was almost rewarded for his efforts with a strong run that ended with a shot going narrowly wide.

 

On the hour mark the referee was involved in more controversy when Tony Bullock handled just outside the box with Diack in close attendance.  In similar circumstances goalkeepers have been dismissed in the past and although that always seems harsh it is fairly common. On this occasion the keeper was not even spoken to and he rubbed salt into the Warriors wounds when he brought off a magnificent save from Diack’s freekick.  Chances for the home side were still few and far between as the attacks were usually stopped by the assistant’s flag and Montrose eventually killed the game off in the 75^th minute when he tapped home a Cox cross with the home defence all over the place.  

 

Stenhousemuir – Bennett, Lyle, McGroarty [b55], Smith, Ovenstone, Tyrrell, Shirra [Love 78], Ferguson, Dalziel [Brand 64], Diack and Motion [b39]. Subs not used – Thomson, Thom and Renton

 

Montrose – Bullock, Hegarty, Pope, Davidson, Tweed, Crighton, Gibson, Buchan, Cox, Hunter [Bradley 82] and Black. Subs not used – Stewart, Thompson, Wright and Kelly.

 

Referee – Dougie McDonald                    

Assistants – Gary Sweeney and Alistair Kerr