William Hill Scottish Cup
Third Round
Saturday 19th November 2011
Ayr United 2 Montrose 2

Montrose Football Club lived to fight another day in the William Hill Scottish Cup with a tremendous performance at Somerset Park on Saturday against League Cup semi finalists Ayr United.

This Ayr United side had already beaten Premier League sides Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Hearts and St Mirren on route to the cup semi but they had no answer to Ray Farningham’s side who stuck to their task game fully and really should have won this pulsating cup tie.

This third round tie will now be decided at Links Park in a replay on Tuesday night.

The match had everything three penalties, five booking and Montrose coming back twice from behind.

After their recovery from four behind to snatch a 4 – 4 draw at Stranraer last Saturday Montrose certainly played their part in a wonderful good old fashioned cup tie which could have gone either way. Although not having the best league form in recent season’s Montrose have continued to turn in good performances in the Scottish Cup.

The Gable Endies showed two changes from the Stranraer match with Terry Masson and two goal Sean Pierce coming into the side at the expense of the injured Alan Campbell and Jonathan Crawford. There was no change to the formation with Montrose lining up 4 – 3 – 3.

Andrews was in goal with McNally and captain Cameron in full back positions. This meant Crighton was alongside Smart in central defence.

Lunan, Masson and Winter were in midfield with Johnston, Boyle and Pierce in attack.

The Montrose bench consisted of Crawford, Dimilta, McPhee, McGowan and Wood.

Montrose had an early site of goal when a long through ball from Cameron found Boyle but he couldn’t quite connect with the ball and it went out of play.

In the third minute former Queen’s Park player Alan Trouten skipped past three Montrose players on the edge of the area but he could only curl his effort straight at Michael Andrews.

With seven minutes gone a long ball from Jamie Winter this time put Boyle clear of the home defence but this time he slipped on the greasy surface as he went past the home defender.

After the early pressure it was the home side who opened the scoring in the following minute. Michael McGowan made space to get in a shot which Andrews tipped around the post. From the resultant near post corner from the same player JOHN ROBERTSON got ahead of his marker Crighton to flash home a header from close range.

Two minutes later and Montrose created a half chance. McNally raced up the right flank and got over a cross which was half cleared by the home defence but it fell kindly to Paul Lunan but he couldn’t keep it on target and it flew over the crossbar.

In the tenth minute Moffat found himself through on goal and squared to Trouten but the Ayr United midfielder slipped at the vital moment and Montrose cleared.

The home side kept up the pressure and Michael Moffat went on a dangerous run but he could only shoot into the arms of Andrews.

Montrose found an equaliser in the 22nd minute much to the delight of their travelling support behind the goal. Martin Boyle raced up the right channel and fired in a cross which went right across goal. It was retrieved by Pierce, who in turn found Paul Lunan. The midfielder then looked up and curled in a beauty of a cross and TERRY MASSON rose inside the six yard area and sent a header looping over Cuthbert and into the top corner of the net.

The home side tried to hit back and Ross Robertson sent a long range effort towards goal which was deflected wide for a fruitless corner kick.

In the 27th minute Montrose had a great chance to take the lead when referee Northcroft awarded them a penalty kick. It was a defence splitting pass from Winter that caused the problems, Ayr United central defender Robertson missed the ball and Boyle went racing clean through on goal only to be brought crashing to the ground by last man Tiffoney. Amazingly the referee only booked the right back. Sean Pierce stepped up to take the penalty but the usually reliable striker sent the keeper the wrong way only to see the ball rebound off the post.

Just past the half hour mark and Ayr United were on the attack again when Michael Moffat raced into the box but Jonathan Smart matched him all the way and put in a great saving tackle to put the ball behind.

Ayr took the short corner quickly when McGowan played the ball to Trouten, he strode forward before curling an effort wide of the far post.

The end to end nature of the match continued and Johnston won the Gable Endies a corner. Winter swung the ball into the box and Lunan’s shot was blocked for another corner. But this time Montrose wasted the corner and the chance was gone.

With ten minutes of the half remaining an in swinging corner from Michael McGowan caused danger inside the area but Michael Andrews was on hand to punch clear.

Montrose restarted the second half and were quickly onto the attack. Scott Johnston won possession on the right hand side of the park and played in a chipped cross to Martin Boyle who was adjudged to be offside as he fired at keeper Cuthbert.

Terry Masson then picked up an injury after a solid challenge in the middle of the park but he was able to continue after treatment.

In the following minute Johnston won Montrose a corner kick after his persistence at the corner flag. Cameron whipped in the in swinger but Cuthbert gathered.

Referee Northcroft awarded the second penalty kick of the afternoon in the 55th minute this time to the home side when Cameron was adjudged to have blocked a cross from McGowan with his hands. After Cameron was booked for his protests ALAN TROUTEN stepped up to calmly side foot the ball past Andrews.

Montrose didn’t have long to wait for their second penalty of the match when a Johnston cross was blocked by Eddie Malone some two minutes later. This time it was JAMIE WINTER who took the responsibility of taking the kick and he stepped up to blast the ball into the roof of the net giving Cuthbert no chance. It was the midfielder’s fifth goal of the season and no more than Montrose deserved.

In the 59th minute Eddie Malone was booked for a crude foul on Johnston after the forward had won the ball back off the defender.

The home side then made a double substitution on the hour mark f came Ross Robertson and Gareth Wardlaw and on in there place came Ryan Connolly and Mark Roberts.

Michael Andrews kept Montrose in the cup tie some three minutes later with and excellent block at the near post from Michael McGowan.

Montrose then carved open the home defence in the 67th minute. Masson played the ball to Johnston who in turn found Pierce with a great pass inside the area and his low shot was blocked by a home defender.

In the 73rd minute it was almost penalty number four of the afternoon when Stephen McNally ended a run by McGowan on the byeline and inches outside the area when he dragged him to the ground. McNally was shown the yellow card before McGowan blasted in the free kick which sailed out for a bye kick at the other side of the pitch.

Five minutes later and Alan Trouten became the third home player to be shown the yellow card for a foul on Terry Masson in the middle of the park.

The game was now flowing from end to end and Jamie Winter went on a mazy run for Montrose beating three Ayr United players only for the ball to run away from him at a vital moment and he couldn’t get in his shot.

With 83 minutes gone Cameron played behind a cross from McGowan then from the same player’s corner kick it was Jonathan Smart’s turn to powerfully head clear. Ayr United then picked up the ball and played the ball around before dangerman McGowan fired into the side netting.

In the next minute Montrose made their first substitution of the afternoon bringing on Steven McPhee on the left hand side of the park in place of Sean Pierce. At the same time the home team brought on Jamie McKernon for Trouten.

In the 87th minute a clearance from Crighton once again caught out the home defence but Boyle just couldn’t quite connect with ball.

With a minute remaining Montrose had the chance to win the tie. It was Martin Boyle who did the hard work racing down the right flank, his low cross was cleared but only as far as Terry Masson some ten yards out a shot either side of Cuthbert would have found the net, but he drove the ball straight into the arms of the delighted home keeper.

Seconds later Winter hooked the ball forward and Boyle was through on goal with a defender in hot on his heals but as the angle narrowed so did his chance and Cuthbert was able to gather.

In the third minute of stoppage time Ayr United had a half chance through substitute Mark Roberts but from inside the area he could only curl the ball into the arms of Andrews. Any goal then would have been a total injustice to the Gable Endies and shortly after the whistle sounded on another impressive Montrose Scottish Cup performance.

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