MONTROSE and Peterhead fought out a draw in a scrappy end-to-end encounter played in horrendous weather conditions.

With high winds and lashing rain battering Links Park, the match was given the go-ahead after a 3pm pitch inspection prior to the 7.45pm kick-off.

There were few early chances, but Peterhead’s Joshua Kerr had a free kick from the edge of the box deflected over the crossbar in the 12th minute. At the other end, Blair Lyons had a chipped shot held by Jack Newman in the Peterhead goal.

Montrose survived a scare in the 14th minute when Max Barry dragged the ball across goal after beating Euan Glasgow, but none of the Peterhead players in the box was able to capitalise on the loose ball.

The home side was awarded a penalty in the 19th minute when Gus Stevenson was tripped in the box by Dylan Forrest. Newman dived the right way, but Taylor SUTHERLAND’s low shot was just beyond his fingertips.

Lyons was denied a certain goal in the 34th minute when Kerr headed his shot off the goal line with Newman beaten.

Peterhead equalised in the 54th minute when Kieran SHANKS spotted Montrose goalkeeper Harrison Sharp standing on the edge of his box and floated a half volley over his head and into the unguarded net from 25 yards out.

Lyons came close to restoring Montrose’s advantage in the 58th minute, bursting past the Peterhead back line but curling a low shot just wide of Newman’s post.

Craig McGuffie had a 25-yard shot easily held by Sharp in the 73rd minute, while Sean Dillon skied a shot over the bar in the 82nd minute.

As the clock passed the 90th minute, Peterhead’s Sebastian Ross blasted a shot over the crossbar from six yards out.

With two minutes of stoppage time, Shanks beat Sharp with a header that bounced back off the crossbar and was hooked clear by Dillon.

Attendance: 260

Report by Mark Rae

Pic by Pheonix Photography

Post match reaction https://youtu.be/nqK-rWZw8bs