- Details
- Published: Saturday, 06 February 2016 20:19
Montrose 2 East Fife 2
A stunning late strike from Terry Masson rescued a point for Montrose against high-flying East Fife.
The visitors had taken the lead in the 10th minute when KYLE WILKIE cut inside to the edge of the box and fired a low shot into the bottom corner.
They doubled their advantage in the 58th minute when player-manager Gary Naysmith curled a free kick from wide on the right to the back post, where JASON KERR headed across goal and into the net.
Montrose were unlucky to be two goals adrift, having seen Graham Webster hit the crossbar three minutes earlier.
Their comeback began in earnest in the 70th minute when GARY FRASER robbed Kerr on the touchline, took the ball into the box and curled a shot across visiting goalkeeper Liam Kelly and into the net.
With time running out, substitute TERRY MASSON proved to be Montrose's saviour. Collecting the ball 25 yards from goal, the midfielder dipped his shoulder and crashed a shot in off the underside of the crossbar.
The match had been a scrappy affair, with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances. East Fife's Nathan Austin came close in the 30th minute when he turned Greg Pascazio and hit a low shot that was blocked and held by Montrose's debutant goalkeeper Alex Tokarczyk.
Webster was unlucky five minutes later when he juggled the ball before seeing his volley deflected wide. From the following corner, Chris Templeman's header was booted off the line by East Fife's Ross Brown.
East Fife substitute Kevin Smith curled a free kick over the crossbar with 10 minutes remaining, while Adrian Mallagaray's fierce shot from Templeman's knockdown fizzed wide of the post.
The visitors almost snatched a winner in stoppage time when Andrew Steeves connected with Smith's low cross, Tokarczyk managing to hold the ball on the goal line to prevent the own goal.