Montrose lined up with Matthews in goal then Emslie, Smith and Steeves with Donaldson, Shrive, Masson and Machado in midfield and Hermiston, MacIver-Redwood and Lyons up front.

Referee Alex Shepherd got the game underway in dry conditions but that didn’t last long. The Mo started well with only four regular first team players with the rest being youth team or Academy Graduate players. It was a blend of youth and experience and performed well with the more experienced lads controlling midfield and the younger ones providing the speed and skills to go 2-0 up inside 25 minutes. 

Spartans had some early possession but it was the Mo who scored first on 19 minutes as Lyons sped into the 18-yard box and laid it off for oncoming Matheus Machado to tap in at the far post.

Spartans tried at the other end but Craig Smith and Ross Matthews along with Andrew Steeves coped well and it was Montrose who scored again on 25 minutes. A great run by Lyons from a ball from Machado saw Ali Shrive hook the ball into the net from 10 yards to make it 2-0. It was good to see that any one of three Mo players could well have scored as both Bens were close as well.

Spartans needed to tighten up and nearly scored themselves from a free kick which hit the post and was cleared then Ben MacIver-Redwood put Machado through only for his shot to be cleared off the line. Half-time loomed as Ben Hermiston had a header which was tipped over for a corner which came to nothing.

The second half saw no changes for Montrose as Spartans started to control the game more. Then it started to rain extremely heavily. On 53 minutes Machado was replaced by Aulay Martin as the game swung more Spartans way and a great run down the left was hit hard into the net on 57 minutes to make it 2-1. Within 3 minutes it became 2-2 when the same thing happened again. 

Action from the Mo bench then when effectively Montrose fielded a very young side for the last 30 minutes. Substitutions galore as Montrose brought on Rio Bradford, Jay Cochrane, Innes Paton a trialist and Harry Craig. Off went the experience of Masson, Steeves and Lyons along with MacIver-Redwood and Emslie all within minutes of each other. Spartans also made 5 substitutions on 62 minutes.

All those changes saw Spartans take control of midfield but the very young Montrose side played some good hold up stuff to gain experience. Mostly 50/50 midfield play and more changes were made by Spartans but neither side produced a winning goal though at the last gasp Ben Hermiston almost scored with a scissors kick which was blocked almost on the goal line as the full-time whistle blew to end it all at 2-2.

Good first half by the Mo, not so good second half but in games like these the pitch time and blend of youth and experience is vital to tap into.

Report by Steve Doyle