Pre Season Friendly
Tuesday 13th July 2010
Montrose 0 Livingston 3

MONTROSE’S pre-season preparations continued with a hard-fought home defeat to Division Three champions Livingston.

Both sides gave an energetic performance on a cool Angus evening, but it was the visitors from West Lothian who emerged victorious.

Winger Bobby Barr opened the scoring in the 22nd minutes with an unstoppable shot from 25 yards that flew over home goalkeeper Sandy Wood’s head. Veteran striker Robbie Winters doubled the advantage 15 minutes later, turning in the rebound when Montrose failed to clear his initial shot. Substitute Mark McNulty completed the scoring with the last kick of the game, tapping home a Barr square ball from six yards out.

While Livingston were deserving winners, Montrose didn’t make things easy for their visitors, and were unlucky not to score themselves.

It was Livingston who made the most of the early exchanges, Barr teeing up Aaron Conway in the fifth minute, only for Wood to pull off an excellent diving save. Conway came closer still three minutes later, hitting the post from the edge of the six-yard box after a good ball in from Keaghan Jacobs.

Montrose’s first genuine chance of the match saw Nicky Smith released by one of the five trialists named in Montrose’s 20-man squad, but the winger’s cutback from the byeline was blocked.

Keaghan Jacobs came close with an audacious first time shot in the 19th minute, but Montrose keeper Wood was alert enough to tip the ball over the crossbar.

Following Barr’s opening goal, Montrose came close to finding an immediate equaliser, the impressive Terry Masson laying the ball off for Chris Hegarty on the edge of the box, the defender shooting wide. However, referee Brian Braidwood ruled that Hegarty had been fouled as he hit the shot. Hegarty stepped up to take the free kick, but former Montrose man Tony Bullock did well to dive and hold the ball before it crept into the bottom corner.

Masson and James Collier linked well in the 34th minute, the former racing through the middle of the park with the ball before playing a quick one-two. With time to shoot, Masson sent the ball just wide of the post.

Livingston were also creating chances, Cammy MacDonald dragging a left-foot shot wide of the post just minutes before Winters added the visitors’ second.

The first half ended with Livingston on the attack, MacDonald shooting over from the edge of the box and Conway sending a 30-yard free kick into Wood’s arms.

Livingston dominated the second half, Winters having a shot tipped over five minutes after the restart and Conway missing an open goal four minutes later from an Ian Russell cutback. David Sinclair should have done better when heading over from a Russell corner in the 57th minute.

Montrose came close through Masson on the hour mark, the midfielder sending a scissor kick over the bar from a corner.

Hegarty was again denied from long range in the 70th minute, sending his shot wide from the edge of the box after Aaron Sinclair’s headed attempt was blocked.

The final 20 minutes were played out at a less frantic pace, Livingston holding the ball well but lacking urgency in the final third.

Montrose: Wood, McNally, Pope, Campbell, Crighton, Hegarty, N Smith (Milligan 74), Davidson (Trialist 45), Collier (Trialist 65), Masson (Nicol 65), Trialist (Sinclair 65).

Unused substitutes: Trialist, Trialist, Tweed, M Smith.

Livingston: Bullock (Jamieson 46), MacDonald, Hamill, Sinclair, O’Byrne, Hastings, Barr, Keaghan Jacobs, Russell (Kyle Jacobs 72), Winters (McNulty 69), Conway (D Jacobs 65).

Unused substitutes: Malone.

Match Report by Mark Rae