IRN BRU Scottish Football League
Division Three
Saturday 6th March 2010
Stranraer 0 Montrose 2

A make shift Montrose line up came away from the long trip to Stranraer on Saturday with all three points for only the second time this season, to cap a good week for the club. A week in which they have picked out four points out of six and had two clean sheets in a row.
This was a good performance in difficult conditions on a pitch that was lacking in grass and seemed to be mainly sand. In the end two quality strikes for the two elder statesmen of the team Paul Tosh and player/manager Steven Tweed were the difference between the sides in a match that flew from end to end.
Not only were there two goals but the sides managed to hit the woodwork three times.
With Steven Nicholas ruled out through injury and Daryl Nicol suspended after his red card against Albion Rovers, Montrose made two changes to their line up. In came Chris Hegarty after suspension and Aaron Sinclair.
Montrose lined up with McNeil in goal and McNally and Campbell in the full back roles with Crighton and Tweed in central defence. Milligan was down the right flank with Sinclair wide left. Davidson and Hegarty were in the middle of the park. Paul Tosh was partnered in attack by Marek Tomana.
With Martin Boyle on international duty the previous night with Scotland he was also unavailable for a pace on the bench and Jordan Leyden was on holiday. This meant that Jack Presly was joined on the bench by another two of his Under 17 team-mates 16 year olds Ryan Arbuckle and Andy Anderson both the first team squad for the first time. The only other substitute was goalkeeper Steven Coutts.
In the second minute Stranraer midfielder Steven Noble had a shot at goal, which went weekly into the arms of Andy McNeil.
Two minutes later Stranraer won a corner kick, which was taken by Scott Agnew, the ball was cleared back to the midfielder but Armand One headed his cross well wide.
One then won a free kick when he was fouled by Tweed although it appeared as though the Montrose player boss had slipped on the pitch. Agnes was again the dead ball player and he crossed for Bouadji who headed wide.
Montrose had their first chance in the eighth minute when Marek Tomana went on a great run up the right flank he cut the ball back to Paul Tosh but he could only shoot low into the keepers arms.
Montrose should have taken the lead two minutes later when Stephen McNally did the spade work up the right and his near post cross should have been finished by Hugh Davidson but from some eight yards out he shot wide.
A minute later another good Montrose move opened up the home defence and this time Milligan squared the ball for Chris Hegarty who this time shot well wide.
In the 12th minute Stranraer went close to the opening goal Armand One put in Stuart McColm whose shot hit Andy McNeil and went out for a corner kick.
Tomana then got on the end of a low Hegarty corner kick but could only hook the ball over the crossbar.
In 19 minutes Tomana linked up again with his strike partner Tosh and the latter saw his shot blocked by keeper David Mitchell.
Montrose had a let off a minute later. Armand One put in his strike partner Stuart McColm his low shot beat McNeil but rebounded off the post and behind for a goal kick.
Montrose claimed for a penalty kick on the half hour mark when Hegarty appeared to be fouled in the box after he chased a lobbed pass forward from McNally.
In the 32nd minute Montrose opened the scoring. Chris Hegarty played a pass from the touchline into PAUL TOSH and from 30 yards out his first time shot curled into the net with keeper Mitchell routed to the spot. It was the striker’s sixth goal of the season and another fantastic strike. The striker is proving to be an excellent piece of business by Steven Tweed since his arrival in June.
Four minutes later Andy McNeil had to look lively four minutes later to punch a volley from McColm around the post.
With five minutes of the half remaining a following move up the Montrose left involving Arron Sinclair, Tomana, Milligan and Chris Hegarty won Montrose corner kick which the latter took only for the home defence to clear.
With a minute of the half remaining Aaron Sinclair became the first booking of the match for a late tackle on Glen Mitchell.
In first half stoppage time, Stranraer won a free kick in a dangerous position when Tweed fouled One. Scott Agnew lined up to take the kick but slipped on the pitch that had now become difficult due to the heavy rain, which had fallen in the later stages of the half.
Stranraer came out at the start of the second half looking for an equaliser and Agnew got on the end of a Lee Sharp cross only to fire well over the crossbar.
Montrose then won a free kick after a foul on Hegarty. Davidson hooked on Sinclair’s free kick but Tosh’s weak shot went into the arms of keeper Mitchell.
Stranraer made a switch in the 52nd minute and sent on striker Michael Moore for defender Glen Mitchell and went three up front.
In the 56th minute Chris Hegarty picked up another booking for a trip on Steven Noble has the midfielder raced up the left flank but was really going nowhere. Agnew sent the free kick into the box but Tosh headed clear.
The next minute Tosh was in action at the other end of the pitch when he sent a delightful pass with the outside of his boot to Sinclair racing clear on the left and his low cross into the box was blasted clear for a corner kick. Hegarty’s kick found Fraser Milligan but he sent his shot well over the crossbar.
The game flowed from end to end and Stranraer had another chance from a Scott Agnew corner kick. Tweed cleared the ball and centre half Henderson hooked his shot over the bar.
Montrose had a great chance for a second goal in the 65th minute when Paul Tosh broke clear down the right and with Davidson unmarked in the centre his cross was cut out by a home defender and behind for a corner.
From Hegarty’s corner Montrose scored again. Aaron Sinclair challenged the keeper for the ball and with the Stranraer side claiming a foul the ball broke for player/manager STEVEN TWEED who volleyed home his first goal of the season from ten yards out into the roof of the net, much to the delight of his players.
Stranraer were not out of it yet and in the 70th minute dangerman Stuart McColm went on a surging run and he let fly only to see his shot rebound of the angle of the post and crossbar before going behind.
The home side them made a second change bringing on Damiano Agostini for Murray Henderson.
Nicoll went on a run and found Michael Moore with a pass but Andy McNeil tipped the striker’s shot behind.
With fifteen minutes remaining Stranraer’s Scott Agnew hooked the ball over the crossbar as the home side wasted another opportunity.
In the 79th minute Stranraer made their final switch in an effort to save the match when Scott McManus replaced Stuart McColm.
Three minutes later Milligan won a corner kick, which Hegarty swung, over the ball fell to Marek Tomana who made space for a shot but in the end he fired well over the crossbar.
A minute later came the third Montrose booking of the match when Stephen McNally was yellow carded for foul on Lee Sharp. Agnew’s free kick was cleared at the second attempt by a resilient away defence.
With seven minutes left Montrose gave a league debut to Banchory youngster Jack Presly who at 16 years and 32 days old became one of the youngest players to play in the Gable Endies first team. Presly came on in place of Marek Tomana.
With four minutes left an Agnew corner found Armand One in the box but his header went over the crossbar.
Two minutes later Andy McNeil kept the Montrose clean sheet in tact with a point blank save from substitute Scott McManus with Campbell completing the clearance putting the ball behind for a corner kick.
With a minute left Paul Tosh almost put the icing on the cake for Montrose with another of his trademark strikes from 25 yards on the turn but his effort flew off the crossbar with Mitchell again beaten.