With several call offs on Saturday morning, manager Stewart Petrie was forced to re-jig his line-up.

The Gable Endies took the field with Ali Shrive playing just in front of the back line, Michael Gardyne further forward in midfield and Graham Webster occupying the striker’s role.

Montrose started the game well with a header from Webster being saved before Keir Bertie had a shot blocked.

With nine minutes on the clock, Webster was brought down on the edge of the box, but Gardyne fired the free kick well over.

It was not all one-way traffic and Stennies’ Euan O’Reilly was causing a lot of problems for the Montrose defence with his runs on the right flank.

In a Stenhousemuir attack after 18 minutes, Kieran Freeman appeared to win the ball cleanly in a challenge on Ross Taylor but referee Craig Napier saw it differently and immediately pointed to the spot.

Blair Alston stepped up to take the kick and his fierce shot gave keeper Cammy Gill no chance.

Minutes later, a Terry Masson cut back eluded everyone and just after the half hour a Gardyne free kick was saved by keeper Darren Jamieson.

After 39 minutes, a promising Montrose attack fizzled out when the game was stopped because of a head knock to a visiting player.

At half time, Andrew Steeves replaced Keir Bertie, presumably to counter the menace from O’Reilly.

As long as the score remained at 1-0 however, it looked as if the Gable Endies might salvage something from the game but on 69 minutes a mis-placed pass gifted possession to Alston who created space for Ross Taylor to fire a right-foot shot low into the right-hand corner.

Montrose were still looking to get on the score sheet, but they were unable to create any clear- cut chances on the few occasions they threatened the visitors’ goal.

On 84 minutes, home fans got their first sight of new signing Lancelot Pollard when the youngster replaced Calum Sandilands.

As the Gable Endies pressed forward, the visitors settled matters in the fifth minute of time added when Corey O’Donnell broke clear and fired a right-foot shot over Gill from just outside the box.

It was poor display by a re-arranged Gable Endies’ side but given a small slice of luck in front of goal the outcome might have been different. The penalty award was certainly debatable and probably changed the game.

Report by Forbes Inglis

Post match reaction https://youtu.be/pHWzeI-7H6I