IRN BRU Scottish Football League
Division Three
Tuesday 8th November 2011
Elgin City 3 Montrose 1

Montrose Football Club came back from the lengthy midweek journey to Elgin City with nothing to show for their efforts in an entertaining match under the Borough Briggs floodlights.
The Gable Endies started the match slowly and gave away two avoidable goals before recovering well scoring once through Scott Johnston but despite creating plenty of chances they couldn’t find the equaliser and were hit with a killer sucker punch third goal from the home side under the charge of former Gable Endies coach Ross Jack.
After the 2 – 1 home victory on the Saturday over bottom club East Stirlingshire manager Farningham was forced into one chance with Paul Lunan missing out due to work commitments his place in the middle of the park was taken by Jamie Winter returning after a two match absence.
Borough Briggs was in perfect condition for a football match at kick off time it was Montrose who got the match underway wearing their new away colours of yellow tops and yellow socks but on the insistence of the referee (so not to clash with Elgin City) they were also playing in their home white shorts a slightly strange combination.
Sean Pierce won Montrose an early free kick but it was wasted after Jamie Winter took it too quickly.
In the fifth minute Martin Boyle raced up the right hand side of the park but his cross was cleared for a Montrose throw in.
Three minutes later Johnston fouled O’Donoghue which Daniel Moore swung into the box, Winter cleared and set up a Montrose counter attack which saw Pierce win a corner kick. Cameron sent over an out swinger which the home defence cleared.
In the tenth minute Elgin City opened the scoring Brian Cameron was allowed to run pass three weak Montrose challenges on the right hand side of the park and set up ROSS O’DONOGHUE on the edge of the area and he calmly knocked the ball home into the corner of the net.
Three minutes later tempers were raised when Alan Campbell was the victim of a nasty studs up challenge by Stuart Leslie in the middle of the park. Amazingly referee Northcroft waved play on and when play resumed after treatment to Campbell, Elgin had a throw in which they sportingly gave the ball back to Montrose.
Things became worse for the Gable Endies in the 17th minute when the home side scored again. Montrose failed to clear their lines not for the first time this season and O’DONOGHUE scored his second of the night with a 20 yard effort which looped over Andrews and into the net.
Six minutes later Elgin City went close again this time through Archie McPhee who headed a cross from Leslie over the bar from cross range.
Montrose got themselves back into the match in the 28th minute when they pulled a goal back. SCOTT JOHNSTON gathered a throw in inside the area beat his man and got to the byeline where his intended cross sailed over the head of goalkeeper Zander Clark and went into the net via the far post, with Boyle ready to pounce. It was Johnston’s second goal in three days.
On the half hour mark Sean Crighton picked up a booking for a tackle from behind on Gunn which looked no worse than anything that had gone previous. Before the free kick could be taken Ray Farningham was warned by the referee for his protests.
In the 35th minute Elgin City came close to restoring their two goal advantage but Cameron side footed a great cross from Leslie over the crossbar from ten yards out.
The end to end nature of an open match continued in the next minute when Sean Pierce raced up the left flank and with no one getting in a tackle he let fly from 20 yards out only for keeper Clark to fumble his effort past the post. Cameron’s corner found Smart he couldn’t get the ball under control and the chance was gone.
In the 38th minute Montrose again failed to put in a tackle and this allowed Elgin City’s Jason Crooks the opportunity to curl an effort over the crossbar from the edge of the area.
Five minutes before the interval Montrose carved out another chance. Sean Crighton played a ball wide over the top of the home defence Boyle latched on to it and out paced his marker his cross was met first time by Sean Pierce who hooked the ball over the junction of the post and bar.
Sixty seconds later and Montrose were in again on goal, this time it was Terry Masson who played the killer ball through the middle to Martin Boyle he timed his run and rounded the keeper but he couldn’t get enough pace on the ball and a home defender got back to clear.
In first half injury time the Gable Endies created one final chance when Pierce played the ball wide to Winter his cross found Boyle whose shot was deflected over for a fruitless corner.
Montrose were first into attack in the second period looking for the equaliser and after a corner was cleared back to himself Jamie Winter saw his 25 yard effort held by Clark in the home goal.
In the 50th minute Sean Pierce went on another great run down the left, he skipped by the challenges and ran along the byeline before firing in a low cross which caused a scramble inside the six yard box before the ball was played back to Winter who this time blazed over from twenty yards.
Three minutes later and Pierce this time found himself through on goal but a home defender got back in the nick of time to play the ball out for a corner kick. Winter’s kick found Boyle lurking but his shot was again blocked and from Cameron’s in swinger Elgin City managed to clear.
The frantic nature of the second half continued and in the 56th minute Sean Pierce picked up a needless booking for showing dissent after Montrose weren’t given a throw in.
It was all Montrose and just past the hour Martin Boyle ran into the area only to see his shot blocked for another corner kick. Again Elgin cleared from Cameron’s in swinging corner kick.
Two minutes later and Montrose had a let off when Elgin’s top scorer Craig Gunn saw his header hit the bar from close range and Alan Campbell was on hand to clear the ball off the line.
Despite all the pressure it was game over for Montrose in the 66th minute when Elgin City scored goal number. Ray Farningham’s men had three opportunities to clear their lines but failed to do so and when Elgin won a corner kick they again failed to mark up and when Nicholson fired in a low effort JASON CROOKS was on hand to stab the ball home from a few yards out.
In the 70th minute Montrose made a change bringing on Steven McPhee in place of Terry Masson.
With 77 minutes gone a good run from Johnston took him inside the area and he won a corner kick. Cameron’s in swinger was again cleared by the home defence.
Elgin made their first switch of the match in the 81st minute when Beveridge came on for Cameron.
Three minutes later Montrose made a double switch with Stephen McNally and David Dimilta coming on to replace the injured Jonathan Smart and Sean Pierce. At the same time Elgin City replaced Craig Gunn with Steven Edwards.

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