IRN BRU Scottish Football League
Division Three
Tuesday 2nd March 2010
Montrose 0 Albion Rovers 0

Montrose were unlucky to secure only a single point from a hard-fought goalless clash with Albion Rovers.
Both sides had chances to win the match, but neither team was able to turn their chances into goals.
In a largely foul-free match, Daryl Nicol received a second yellow card three minutes from time for an off the ball offence, giving manager Steven Tweed a further selection headache, Chris Hegarty and John Gemmell having missed the tie through suspension.
Montrose were the first side to come close to breaking the deadlock, Stephen McNally sending a free kick wide of the post from 25 yards out after five minutes.
Albion Rovers also looked dangerous, Pat Walker heading at Andrew McNeil in the 11th minute, but Montrose looked the more likely side to score in the opening exchanges, Fraser Milligan seeing his shot deflected to goalkeeper Derek Galston two minutes later.
Montrose’s best chance of the first half fell to Daryl Nicol, the youngster having been instrumental to excellent build-up play just seconds earlier. His surging run to the edge of the box caused panic in the Albion Rovers back line, and his lay-off to Paul Tosh found the striker in space inside the box. Tosh’s shot was parried by Galston, the ball falling at Nicol’s feet on the edge of the box. He steadied himself before blasting a shot that was unluckily deflected over the crossbar.
Albion were reduced to hitting back on the counter attack for long spells in the first half, Mark Canning shooting wide from one of the visitors’ better chances in the 31st minute. Steven Tweed could have opened the scoring shortly before half time, the Montrose player-manager heading wide from a Nicol corner.
Having passed up that opportunity, Tweed was almost made to pay in first half injury time, finding himself beaten by Dennis McLaughlin’s pace as he burst into the box. The winger, finding himself with time to finish, should have done better than to shoot at McNeil.
The closest Montrose came to scoring was in the 53rd minute when Steven Nicholas cut into the box and sent the ball across the face of goal. Alan Reid appeared to turn the ball into his own net, but somehow managed to scramble the ball off the goalline. Alan Benton was on hand to thump the ball to the edge of the box, where Marek Tomana had time to control before shooting narrowly over.
Having been given a series of let-offs, Albion Rovers began to come into the game far more in the latter part of the second half, seeing a number of shots fly high, wide or into McNeil’s arms.
Nonetheless, Montrose had chances of their own, Tosh having a shot saved by substitute goalkeeper Jamie Ewings in the 76th minute and Martin Boyle connecting with an Alan Campbell free kick before slipping a shot wide by an agonising few inches in the 81st minute.
Reduced to 10 men after Nicol’s red card, Montrose continued to battle and could have bagged all three points at the death when Tweed’s head flick from a Milligan free kick was held by Ewings.

Match Report by Mark Rae