IRN BRU Scottish Football League
Division Three
Saturday 15th October 2011
Queen's Park 3 Montrose 1

Montrose FC’s record against Queens Park in recent times has been poor to put it mildly having lost the last five times at Hampden and the last six times at Links Park. The Montrose fans were looking for something better this time and Ray Farningham’s side were coming off the back of a good performance by defeating Peterhead in a solid shift last time out. The scene was set, the national stadium looked good and for a change it wasn’t raining (or even snowing) there.
A supporter’s club bus ensured that there was a good turnout of around 70 Montrose fans who were in good voice amongst the Hampden crowd of 529. One notable absentee from Mo support however was Ian Stott, a stalwart supporter for many years. Ian is ill in hospital at present but all concerned at Montrose wish him a speedy recovery.
Montrose lined up with Michael Andrews in goal, then Sean Crighton, Paul Lunan, Alan Campbell and Dougie Cameron across the back. In midfield were Stephen McNally, Jamie Winter, Terry Masson and Stephen McPhee with the latter playing wide left both in midfield and up front. The front runners were Martin Boyle and Sean Pierce.
On the bench for Montrose were Jonathan Crawford, Scott Johnston, David McGowan, David Dimilta and Sandy Wood.
Queens Park had a full strength squad available to coach Gardner Spiers except for the suspended Ricky Little who was red carded last time out away at East Stirling. Martin McBride has returned to the Spiders’ ranks after a spell at Dumbarton so the front line looked very strong as he partnered Jamie Longworth and Michael Daly. Mo fans need no reminding that both McBride and Longworth are no strangers to the back of the Montrose net so a busy afternoon looked very possible for Andrews and Co. As usual the Spiders had a big back line and a 6’4’’ keeper so not a day for high ball tactics from Montrose.
The game got underway a minute late with Montrose playing towards the west end of Hampden. QP quickly gathered the ball but Masson nipped in to intercept and annoyingly was adjudged to have fouled in what looked like a fair challenge. Cameron broke up the resulting QP attack and sent McPhee away down the left before being outnumbered as he ran out of options. Campbell, who had a solid game throughout, broke up the next wave of black and white hooped shirts which swarmed towards him as he firstly controlled the ball then moved it forward. In the early stages of the game Queen’s Park were determined to strike early but resolute defending by The Gable Endies limited them to long range testing of keeper Andrews who coped well along with the assistance of the long range ball boys behind the goal.
Dougie Cameron was being tested by the nippy Ian Watt on the right flank and he was seeing plenty of the ball as his team mates spread the game by using the full width of the Hampden pitch. Cameron did well however and used his body strength well against the more fragile looking Watt but the danger was there to see if the wee man got away from his marker.
We were still in the first 10 minutes of the game and it was important for Montrose to settle and see more of the ball. It was referee Greg Aitken who allowed a bit of breathing space by giving a free kick to Montrose on the halfway line following a foul on Martin Boyle out wide on the left. Jamie Winter swung it over but the big QP defence gobbled it up with ease and Crighton had to move smartly to break up the resultant QP raid down the left. It was Crighton again who did well to deal with the next tidal wave – Sean was doing well and that hopefully would do his confidence good as he sticks to what he is good at. Still only 11 minutes into the game and Paul Lunan conceded a corner which Andrews collected then sent Boyle away on the right but he had no support and lost the ball which was quickly raked over to Watt in acres of space on the far right but fortunately was offside much to the disgust of the QP fans.
Another two home corners ended in another offside flag giving Montrose an opportunity to clear their lines and the next few minutes saw something of a lull in proceedings as we approached the 20 minute mark. Montrose needed to hold the ball more in midfield and up front but were finding it hard to get going although not through lack of effort against a well organised and determined home side.
Then we got into more familiar Hampden territory as it started to drizzle with misty rain (in the press box at any rate!). Andrews then had to move smartly to save at close range from Murray after a right wing cross. At last Montrose seemed to have a bit more space to come forward. Had they weathered the QP storm? McNally, who had been largely quiet thus far, sent a well weighted ball through to Boyle and Burns had to react. From the throw in the ball found its way to Cameron who whipped in a wasted cross but in truth there was not much on for him. Next up was Sean Pierce who found himself in space as a long ball went wide right to him. It looked promising if he could cross it for the waiting Boyle or pull it back for the on rushing McNally but he delayed just too long and the chance was gone.
Masson was lectured by the referee on the 28 minute mark but no card was produced. It was more out of frustration than intent as he and his midfield colleagues found it hard to keep possession. The spell of Montrose pressure continued as they took the lead on the 30 minute mark. It was Masson again with the telling pass as he stroked a perfectly weighted ball inside the QP back line. Martin Boyle used his speed and left the defence stranded as he rounded the keeper along the inside right channel and finally tapped it into the empty net. The QP faithful would say it was against the run of play but it was in fact the result of a spell of Montrose pressure after the homesters had failed to take chances of their own. The rest of the first half was end to end stuff as firstly McBride and Longworth did a great interpass which resulted in the latter side footing past the post from a great central position. Then Winter burst through at the other end and maybe should have pulled the trigger but instead slotted through for Boyle. Too much on it however and the chance was lost.
Masson went down injured and onto the field came Eilidh Paterson to strut her stuff on the Hampden turf.
Queen’s Park wasted more chances as both Murray and Meggatt blazed high and wide and Crighton did well to clear an awkward bouncing ball. Boyle was then caught offside but as in recent games it was questionable as his speed is often just not detected by the officials. The first half saw McNally booked for what was his first foul of the game, a bread and butter midfield challenge.
The second half saw Queen’s Park come out at 100 miles an hour as the home support had become restless in the first half. A subtle tactical change by QP saw Martin McBride dropping deeper into midfield to further strengthen that area where they already had the upper hand. Again Montrose struggled to get and keep the ball upfield as it became fast and furious and McNally held his breath as a home player tumbled under a challenge. It looked worse than it was however and the referee was not interested. It meant however that Macca would have to take extreme care for the rest of the game. Boyle and Pierce were still working their socks off and McPhee was doing the same though not so obviously. It was coming up to the hour mark and Queen’s Park had four successive and quick corners which Montrose survived but then out of nothing, as so often happens, the equaliser came. Somehow a deflected pass or clearance ended up at the feet of Longworth on the corner of the six yard box, he whipped in a cross which was headed in at point blank range by the stooping Daly with Andrews unable to cut it out. At 1-1 though the Gable Endies were still hanging on in there but they needed to settle again and start to hold possession more.
Immediately after that equaliser Montrose made the first substitution of the day when Scott Johnston came on for McPhee who had done a load of work down the left hand side. It was not long before Johnston pulled the trigger from 25 yards but it only troubled the ball boys behind the running track. Masson was next to see a yellow card again for an innocuous challenge but clearly the referee had considered an earlier warning.
Queen’s Park made their first substitution with Watt coming off and replaced by Craig Smith. Now into the final quarter of the game and Montrose had a let off as a cross whipped across their six yard box with no attacker on the end of it. McNally smashed a shot at keeper Parry from 30 yards and it was worth a go but quickly afterwards Macca had a clash of heads with Longworth. Macca came off best, well he would wouldn’t he, Longworth recovered and that was later to be at some cost to Montrose. Michael Daly then missed a ‘sitter’ from all of two yards out as he sliced it so wide it went for a throw in. Maybe justice was done as he was somewhat fortunate the ball fell kindly for him in the first place but Montrose needed to stem the tide again.
The game entered the final 15 minutes all square with Montrose needing to concentrate to get something out of it. Mc Bride was bossing midfield, Crighton and Campbell both did well to snuff out danger as Johnston tracked back well to cover Cameron who himself had a decent game. In the 80th minute Queen’s Park brought on Paul Stewart for Daly and under heavy pressure they eventually broke Montrose hearts by taking the lead in the 81st minute. Masson looked to be clearing the ball but somehow lost his footing (or was he nudged), the ball broke loose, Longworth pounced and whipped a low shot past Andrews who had no chance. Maybe deserved on balance for Queen’s Park but in very unlucky circumstances for Montrose so late in the game.
Chances came and went again at both ends with the best Montrose effort being a Boyle chase for a through ball. Those were the best tactics against big defenders with Pierce pulling men wide to create space but on most occasions there was little or no support from midfield to pick up the second ball or create options.
Into the last 5 minutes and Longworth strikes again as somehow he stumbles it past several bodies and into the net to make it 3-1. Soon after the home side make their final substitution with Gallagher coming on for McBride who had done his job well, too well as far as Montrose were concerned. The penultimate piece of action saw Campbell yellow carded for an attempted pull back as Longworth almost grabbed his third goal with a cheeky back heel. In 2 minutes of stoppage time Gardner Spiers’ men ran down the clock but the final piece of action should have seen Montrose grab a goal back as Boyle burst through one on one with keeper Parry but this time the latter did well to deflect the ball to safety and that was it.
Ray Farningham will feel his side did enough to nick a point and might even have held on for all three. He will also be aware of the need to hold the ball up more and close games out but it is still a relatively young side and resources continue to be stretched to the limit. Patience is still a virtue and whilst there is still clearly a long way to go it does seem to be heading slowly in the right direction. A few (a lot even) more bodies through the turnstiles at Links Park would help a lot as well.

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