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Montrose 0 v 0 Albion Rovers |  |
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Montrose 0 v 0 Albion Rovers | |
| Irn-Bru League Division Three 12th September 2009 |
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photos from this match courtesy of Paul Reilly!
Attendance : 343
Another long trip north for Rovers, this time to bottom of the table Montrose. On the face of it a point shouldn't be enough for the Coatbridge men but after one of the least exciting matches a point seemed fair.
The match started quietly, Hugh Davidson of the home side being the first to have a noteworthy attempt on goal, his ball crossing the goal and going out.
In 10 minutes Sean Fleming, who'd been on loan at Cliftonhill last season now plying his trade a signed Gable Endies man took advantage of lax defending to run onto the Rovers goal. Derek Gaston advanced from his goal towards the defender and managed to get a hand to the shot which had seemed destined for the bottom corner of the net.
Rovers went on the offensive which ended with Chris Boyle volleying the ball hard but all too straight to the Montrose 'keeper. Then Pat Walker laid the ball off from inside the box to Dave McFarlane to fire at debut goalie Andy McNeil.
Another former Rovers man John Gemmell wasn't facing goal but managed to direct the ball just past the visitors goal. Gemmell then turned provider when he supplied John Maitland with the ball for the midfielder to hit the ball too high.
Boyle chanced his arm from the side of the Montrose goal, it was helped out for a corner. McFarlane then could have scored from close-in but touched it past.
Half-Time
Gemmell was on a dangerous run in the last third of the pitch when Michael O'Byrne interceded to stop him in his tracks with a well judged tackle. Substitute and former Gable Endie Paul Stewart had a wayward shot fail to trouble the Montrose 'keeper.
That man Gemmell was once more a thorn in Rovers side when he headed over from a Maitland corner, then a few minutes later he hit a free-kick through the assembled wall necessitating Gaston to make a diving stop on the line. Once more the ball found the big hitman in the box and he went one on one with the Rovers stopper. The custodian got an outstretched foot to the ball to foil his plans.
Pat Walker then disappointed the travelling fans shooting wide of the home goal, next Stewart from a tight angle on the far side hit the ball off the Montrose crossbar. Walker was then up for it once more when he struck the ball only for it to land on the top of the net.
Some defensive confusion near the end of the match saw Gemmell receive the ball only to lose it almost immediately, Gaston came and cleared it before an attacker could pounce.
Summary
Rovers weren't firing on all cylinders but they were worthy of a draw which they wouldn't have got had it not been for Derek Gaston despite his lack of experience being on top form. One worry was the players leaving the park with knocks which could be related to the artificial surface causing problems.
Montrose : McNeil, Hegarty, Sinclair, Campbell, Tweed, Crighton, Maitland (Trialist 76), Davidson, Gemmell, Tomana (Nicol 85), Fleming (Milligan 55), Subs Not Used : Anderson, Hall.
Albion Rovers : Gaston, Reid, McGowan, Canning (McKeown 43), Benton, O'Byrne, Boyle (Stewart 47), Tyrrell, McFarlane, Walker, Barr. Subs Not Used : Pollock, Donnelly, Ewings.
Referee : Craig Charleston
Man of the Match - Derek Gaston