IRN BRU Scottish Football League
Division Three
Saturday 26th November 2011
Montrose 3 Berwick Rangers 5

AN end-to-end encounter in stormy conditions at Links Park saw Montrose suffer a home defeat despite scoring three goals.
Martin Boyle had opened the scoring in the ninth minute, flicking the ball over goalkeeper Jamie Barclay after being played in by Scott Johnston. With the ball looking as though it was bouncing out for a goal kick, Boyle nipped in to nod the ball over the line.
Berwick equalised little more than 10 minutes later, the ball falling to Darren Gribben on the edge of the box, the striker sending a low shot into the bottom corner.
Gribben put the visitors ahead five minutes later, flicking a header into the bottom corner from Kevin McDonald’s cross.
Montrose found an equaliser six minutes after the break, Paul Lunan shooting into the net from the edge of the box.
But the parity didn’t last long, Jonathan Crawford caught in possession from a weak Stephen McNally pass on the hour mark, Stuart Noble taking advantage to beat Michael Andrews with a low shot.
Andrews himself was at fault nine minutes from time, spilling his catch and allowing Noble to home in on goal and score his second with a thumping shot from six yards out.
Montrose were given a faint glimmer of hope with three minutes remaining, Dougie Cameron’s corner catching in the wind and floating over the line, despite Barclay’s efforts to palm the ball to safety.
But that glimmer was extinguished three minutes into added time, Ross Gray turning on the edge of the box before scooping a shot over Andrews and into the net.
With high winds continuously blowing towards the beach end, the match was a scrappy end-to-end affair that could have gone either way.
Montrose were playing against the wind in the first half, but looked creative early on, particularly from Dougie Cameron’s crosses. Boyle came close in the third minute, shooting over after being played in by Terry Masson. Johnston also came close, curling a low shot wide of the post.
Although they had taken an early lead through Boyle, Montrose were tested by Gribben throughout, the striker twice shooting over the crossbar before his quickfire double. Jamie Winter also came close for Montrose, hammering a free kick across goal from wide on the left.
Terry Masson could have equalised for Montrose immediately after Berwick had taken the lead, but shot wide from inside the box. Montrose also applied pressure from set pieces, Alan Campbell and Paul Lunan both having shots blocked from a Jamie Winter corner.
Boyle came close from a Cameron free kick in the 53rd minute, while Noble had a shot held after turning Crawford five minutes later. Noble should have done better in the 64th minute, shooting over when unmarked at the back post. Gribben’s hopes of a hat-trick were dashed by an acrobatic Andrews save with 15 minutes remaining.
The late flurry of goals could have been more extensive had Masson’s overhead kick from a McPhee lob not flown wide, and if Barclay hadn’t been alert to Winter’s shot straight from the kick-off after Berwick’s fifth.

Match Report by Mark Rae