Match Report

MATCH REPORT

Montrose v Stenhousemuir at Links Park, Montrose on 23,03,19                                                                                                

Ladbrokes SPFL League One              Att 1,224                                                                                                                                

Montrose 2 [Masson 12, Rennie 90] Stenhousemuir 0

Montrose – Fleming, Steeves [b81], Bolochoweckyj, I.Campbell, Dillon, Watson [Cregg 79], Redman, Masson, Henderson, R.Campbell [Milne 70] and Antoniazzi [Rennie 70]. Subs not used–Callaghan, Harrington, Webster and Matthews.

Stenhousemuir – Smith, Reid, Donaldson, Marsh, McGuigan, Duthie [b84], Dickson, Munro, Dingwall [b88][Gibbons 90], McBrearty and Hurst. Subs not used– Neill, Ferry, Gibbons, Halleran, Watters and McMinn.

Referee – Colin Steven                      Assistants – Stuart Stevenson and Blair Fraser

A slow start to this game cost Stenhousemuir dearly as it meant that they were chasing the game from the 12^th minute of the match and it was only in the latter stages of the half that Alan Fleming the Montrose custodian was called into action.

Once again the Warriors were the visitors for the Montrose annual community day where they hand out tickets to the local schools and this certainly has the desired effect in the way that it boosts the crowd. The young supporters were given something to cheer when Terry Masson opened the scoring following a run by Andrew Steeves who picked Masson out in the box and he had time to switch feet before steering the ball past Graeme Smith.

The Warriors almost equalised in the latter stages of the first half when a Conner Duthie free-kick struck the defensive wall and Allan Fleming the Montrose custodian had to change direction to save the deflected shot with a superb one handed save. Montrose had came close on a number of occasions at they almost scored before the half ended when Chris Antoniazzi’s delicate shot was headed off the line by David Marsh.

The second half was better from a Stenhousemuir point though not statistically as they created more chances. Russell Dingwall could have done better with a loose ball that he hit wide in the 50^th minute but he almost made amends when he dispossessed Steeves before linking up with Greg Hurst and drilling a shot across goal that Fleming did well to save 15 minutes later.  They came even closer to the equaliser when Hurst skipped past a defender in the 75th minute and although his shot beat the keeper somehow Steeves managed to clear the shot of the line.

This was the best opportunity for the Warriors and they kept plugging way but it was not one way traffic and the Gable Endies were to put the game beyond doubt in the 90^th minute after Alan Reid was short with a pass-back and although Graeme Smith did well to make a slide tackle to deny Lewis Milne the ball broke to Martin Rennie to place into the empty net.