Montrose recorded a fourth consecutive win with a hard-fought but deserved victory over Stirling Albion at Links Park.

The opening 10 minutes passed with neither goalkepper called into serious action. Montrose’s Cammy Gill made the first real save in the 15th minute, knocking a Greig Spence shot wide of the post.

Montrose came close to opening the scoring in the 20th minute, Ryan Williamson meeting a Michael Gardyne corner at the back post, his deflected shot falling to Kane Hester, whose own shot was deflected wide.

Gardyne smashed a free kick wide of the post in the 25th minute after Graham Webster had been upended on the edge of the box by Adam Cummins.

Kane Hester could have put Montrose ahead three minutes later, but his volleyed shot from Miller Thomson’s lobbed pass dropped over Blair Currie’s crossbar.

At the other end of the park, Dale Hilson smashed a shot wide of the post from the edge of the box.

Montrose were denied again in the 34th minute when Cummins blocked a Webster shot on the edge of the box and Currie managed to hold Hester’s effort from the rebound.

Former Montrose midfielder Lewis Milne tried his luck in the 36th minute, but curled a shot high and wide of the goal from the edge of the box.

Matheus Machado also attempted to break the deadlock from long range in the 40th minute, but his shot from outside the box was straight at Currie, who held it easily.

A Sean Dillon mistake almost cost Montrose dearly in the 51st minute, the veteran centre back attempting to shield the ball but instead getting robbed on the goal line, but Stirling were unable to capitalise, having one shot deflected out and a second deflected wide for a corner.

Graham Webster was denied by the post in the 60th minute, his low shot deflecting onto the woodwork after a quick break and square ball from Blair Lyons.

Montrose finally took the lead in the 74th minute when Miller Thomson weaved his way through the crowded Stirling Albion box. He was clattered to the ground by Jordan McGregor, but referee Chris Fordyce waved play on as Kane HESTER smashed the ball into the roof of the net.

Hester almost scored a second in the fifth minute of added time, bursting clear of the Stirling defence when a free kick move broke down on the edge of the Montrose box. He wrong-footed Currie, but the goalkeeper managed to hook the ball out for a corner with a desperate diving lunge.

Attendance: 615

Report by Mark Rae 

Pic by Phoenix Photography 

Post match reaction https://youtu.be/04CWW9pnh2I?si=WWuA2AQ4Cz8WmpyT