Montrose 2 v 0 Albion Rovers 
Division 3
9th February 2002
Montrose 2 v 0 Albion Rovers
Division 3
9th February 2002
Attendance : 348
Scorers ~ Montrose : McKinnon (1), Conway (31).
A better second half by Albion Rovers at Links Park simply flattered to deceive and partially conceal the ineptitude of a first period which saw a defensive catastrophe gift Montrose a goal with only 54 seconds on the clock. From that moment, it was always going to be an uphill struggle and when an 18-yard header by Frank Conway was allowed to find the net in the 31st minute, the home tails were up and quite frankly, the task of retrieval looked beyond the Cliftonhill lads.
Following the stirring performance and win against Peterhead, Rovers seemed to have reverted to the lackadaisical mode which saw them crumble before an ordinary Dumbarton outfit a couple of weeks ago, with hardly any player achieving pass marks on the day.
Before the action had properly begun, Montrose were celebrating a quick-fire opener. A long ball forward from midfield was doubly covered by Robert Coulter and Steve Hamilton. However, standing too close together, they got into a fankle, and neither connected with the ball which ran free to the alert Ray McKinnon who advanced to knock it casually behind the unprotected Scott Shearer in Rovers’ goal. What a disastrous start for John McVeigh’s men.
For the next thirty minutes, most of the interest was confined to the midfield area and the respective goalmouths were almost completely devoid of activity. During this time, Rovers’ Stewart Easton and Montrose’s McKinnon were yellow-carded in separate incidents, followed into the referee’s book shortly afterwards by the name of Iain Diack. Then, just after the half hour, Conway’s header looped over everyone to double the score and Rovers were really up against it. Within minutes of this blow, last week’s goal hero Kevin Donnelly was withdrawn and replaced by Jamie McKenzie. With the interval beckoning, a mistimed tackle inside the box saw Montrose awarded a penalty, but Shearer dived to his left to turn McKinnon’s spot-kick to safety.
In the 51st minute a good free-kick by Paul Bonar reached Mark Booth with his back to goal, but the midfielder’s overhead attempt sailed high over the crossbar. Near the hour, Rovers brought on Ryan McMullan for Charlie McLean who had been having a very unfruitful time against the home defence. Captain Steve Hamilton was then the next booking of the day as Rovers tried hard to get going, with McMullan a positive livewire up front. A Bonar corner was met by Robert Coulter whose first-time shot was blocked by the packed home defence. Then the same player met a McKenzie cross but his header went straight into the arms of Gary McGlynn in the home goal.
In 73 minutes, manager John McVeigh gambled by taking off midfield powerhouse Mark Booth and introducing striker Martin Harty who, within seconds, tested McGlynn with a low drive. Once again Coulter headed a Bonar corner over the top and in the closing seconds Colin Waldie tried his luck with a drive which sped past a post.
So, Rovers had lost to Montrose for the first time in nine matches, and the Coatbridge promotion aspirations had taken what might be a fatal knock.
Montrose : McGlynn, Craib (Allison 41), Ferguson, McQuillan, Christie, Conway, Craig, Johnston, Trialist (Hutcheon 90), McKinnon, McKellar. Unused Subs : Laidlaw, Brand, Butter.
Albion Rovers : Shearer, R Coulter, McKenna, Hamilton, Easton, Booth (Harty 73), Waldie, Donnelly (McKenzie 34), McLean (McMullan 59), Diack, Bonar. Unused Subs : Smith, Fahey.
Referee : Charlie Richmond
Man of the Match : Ryan McMullan
