IRN BRU Scottish Football League
Division Three
Saturday 23rd January 2010
Montrose 0 East Stirlingshire 1

Montrose search for a league win continued as the Links Park side succumbed to a second home defeat in the space of week.
While the match with Stranraer seven days earlier was a nine-goal thriller, the encounter with East Stirlingshire was its antithesis, with only a single goal enlivening a drab encounter.
The goal came in the 19th minute when the ball fell to Michael Bolochowechkyj in the box, the centre back thumping beyond the helpless Andrew McNeil.
It was one of only a few clear-cut chances during a match played in driving rain and a freezing wind. The earliest of these came barely seconds after the kick-off, Steven Nicholas sending Paul Tosh clear, the striker blasting a half volley over the crossbar from a tight angle.
Marek Tomana, playing in the middle of the park for Montrose, sent a low drive well wide in the fifth minute, and this was to be indicative of the home side’s afternoon.
The build up to East Stirlingshire’s goal saw a corner fall to Andy Rodgers, the former Montrose striker blasting a half volley at goal only to see McNeil pull off an acrobatic one-handed save. But the home side failed to clear the ball adequately and Shire capitalised to take the lead.
East Stirlingshire looked keen to extend their lead, Derek Ure having a header fumbled wide by McNeil in the 28th minute.
Montrose had a penalty claim turned down two minutes later when Steven Nicholas was bundled over in the box.
Five minutes before half time, a Chris Hegarty cross caused problems in the Shire box, the defenders struggling to cope with the in-swinging ball. The ball was only finally cleared when Bolochoweckhyj thumped the ball off Forrest and away from danger.
With the conditions worsening in the second half, there were few chances of note. Rodgers was sent clear in the 56th minute but sent a low shot wide, while Jamie Stephenson sent a low free kick skidding wide of the target two minutes later. Bolochowechkyj headed wide in the 71st minute and, with seconds remaining, substitute Simon Lynch found himself unmarked from a corner but shot wide

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Match Report by Mark Rae