Albion Rovers 1 v 3 Montrose

Attendance : 237

Scorers ~ Albion Rovers : McKenzie (55). Montrose : Rodgers (43), Stein (54), Dobbins (86).

It wasn't going to be easy for Albion Rovers when second placed Montrose came calling and although they were beaten by a margin of two goals there wasn't much between the sides. The sometimes inspirational frontman Kenny Wright missed the game for Rovers due to a hamstring injury.

Jay Stein was first to impress when he neatly avoided a defender on the near touchline only to blast the ball high and wide of the Rovers goal. Within a minute Jamie McKenzie responded from 30 yards which too was wide.

A 40 yard free-kick put the ball onto the head of John Baird but the attempt was past the post once more. An Alan Reid corner caused problems for the visitors with 'keeper Mark Peat tipping the ball onto his crossbar and eventually to safety. The former Rovers stopper was called into action once more when he tipped a Roddy Hunter shot round the post.

Marco Andreoni supplied Andy Rodgers with the ball inside Rovers penalty area, luckily for the homesters he snatched at the shot. A good move by Rovers which started with a well judged pass from David Scott ended when Callan Adam wasted his run up the wing by giving the ball away.

Rodgers forced a save from Scott then Montrose took the upper hand for a period which saw Baird run down the wing and blast the ball off Scott's feet when a cut-back to a teammate in front of goal seemed a better option.

In 43 minutes Rogers put the Gable Endies ahead when he rounded Alan Benton to slip the ball between the 'keeper and his post. A wayward Reid shot finished the half.

Half-Time

The first incident of note in the second period was Montrose doubling their advantage when Hugh Davidson passed the ball to Stein who took the killer strike with aplomb.

A minute later the deficit was reduced when McKenzie took a 25 yard free-kick from the left of the Montrose area. Mark Peat had left a large area to that side of his goal empty and not wanting to appear rude McKenzie hit the ball just inside the post at that side. Peat was there in a flash but inexplicably managed to let the ball go through his fingers into the net.

Perhaps buoyed by the notion of a "dodgy 'keeper" Michael McGowan had a pop from 25 yards which was just a tad too high to worry Peat. Scott came to the rescue in 61 minutes when Rodgers was gifted the ball at the edge of Rovers area, pulling of another decent stop.

McKenzie and Brian Smith then combined to put the ball across the opposition goal, Ali Martin just failed to make contact.

With just four minutes of the match remaining another former Rover, Ian Dobbins scored his sides third and final of the day. Steven Doris headed the ball onto the crossbar and Dobbins was well placed to ram the ball home.

Summary

A creditable performance for much of the game by Rovers. One worry was the yellow card tally of five gained during the match although Mr. Robertson seemed much more eager to take home players names than the couple of Montrose ones he wrote down.

Albion Rovers : Scott, Robert Walker, McGowan, Reid (Dimilta 75), Benton, Donald (Martin 58), Donnelly, McKenzie (Patrick Walker 86), Hunter, Adam, Smith. Subs Not Used : Watson, Mitchell.

Montrose : Peat, Cumming, Gardiner, McLeod, Dobbins, Andreoni, Davidson, Gibson, Baird (Gates 87), Rodgers (Doris 75), Stein. Subs Not Used : Donachie, Stewart, McKenzie.

Referee : Thomas Robertson

Man of the Match : David Scott

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