Montrose 0 East Fife 0
DESPITE sustained pressure throughout the match, ten-man Montrose were unable to break down bottom of the league East Fife at Links Park.
Although they played the final 20 minutes with 10 players after Aidan Quinn was dismissed for a dangerous knee-first challenge, Montrose looked the more likely team to take all three points.
They had been a threat throughout the match, Graham Webster going close in the second minute when he volleyed high and wide from Andrew Steeves’ whipped cross from wide on the left.
Terry Masson also went close, heading against the post from Michael Gardyne’s chipped pass into the box in the ninth minute. East Fife cleared the ball, but their quick counter attack ended with Danny Denholm putting the ball over Aaron Lennox’s crossbar.
Montrose had a narrow escape in the 11th minute when Quinn headed the ball against Kyle Connell’s head, the ball flying past Lennox and out for a goal kick.
The home side were also forced to scramble the ball clear in the 15th minute when Lennox dropped a cross, resulting in the ball pinballing around the box before being booted to safety.
Both sides had chances during the second quarter of the match, Webster sending a free kick wide of the goal, and Jack Healy shooting wide in the Montrose box.
Montrose piled on the pressure in the closing stages of the first half, Cammy Ballantyne surging in from the right wing and shooting wide; Andrew Steeves having a low shot turned wide by East Fife goalkeeper Jude Smith; Eli Simpson flicking ball over his marker before shooting over inside the box; and Simpson again coming close, heading over from a Gardyne cross.
The final chance of the first half fell to East Fife’s Kyle Connell, who forced Lennox into a diving save to deny a 25-yard shot.
East Fife had the first real chance of the second half, Ryan Wallace shooting over from outside the box.
Montrose reshuffled their line-up after Quinn’s red card, Mark Whatley moving to centre back alongside Sean Dillon. Their defence was further remodelled when Steeves went off with an injury in the 82nd minute, forcing Cammy Ballantyne to move to left back and Cammy F Ballantyne to drop into right back.
Despite the unusual line-up and numerical disadvantage, Montrose looked the more likely to score in the dying stages, Gardyne repeatedly pulling the strings for the home side, and having a low shot held by Smith late on.
Match Report by Mark Rae
Team Lineups & Stats
cinch league 1
Saturday 5th March 2022
 |
 |
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| 21 | Aaron Lennox |
1 | Jude Smith |
| 2 | Cammy Ballantyne |
3 | Chris Higgins |
| 3 | Andrew Steeves (s82) |
4 | Stewart Murdoch |
| 14 | Seán Dillon  |
5 | Ross Dunlop (s30) |
| 17 | Aidan Quinn  |
7 | Danny Denholm (s64) |
| 6 | Terry Masson (c) (s60) |
9 | Ryan Wallace |
| 20 | Cammy F Ballantyne |
12 | Scott Mercer |
| 15 | Mark Whatley |
14 | Kieran Millar |
| 12 | Michael Gardyne |
16 | Jack Healy (s63) |
| 18 | Elijah Simpson (s60) |
20 | Ryan Blair (s66) |
| 7 | Graham Webster (s80) |
22 | Kyle Connell |
| 8 | Paul Watson (s80) |
2 | Leo Watson |
| 16 | Craig Johnston (s60) |
8 | Pat Slattery (s66) |
| 10 | Lewis Milne (s82) |
11 | Danny Swanson (s63) |
| 22 | Lyall Cameron (s60) |
15 | Jamie Semple (s64) |
| 9 | Ross Campbell |
17 | Aaron Steele (s30) |
| 19 | Lucas Smith |
18 | Liam Newton |
| 23 | Kaden Houghton |
19 | Cunningham |
| 1 | Allan Fleming (GK) | 23 | Liam Campbell (GK) |
Referee:
Barry Cook
Assistant Referees:
Colin McAlpine, Ian Hart
Goalscorers:
None
Yellow Cards:
Montrose - Seán Dillon (14), Terry Masson ((54)
East Fife - Scott Mercer (50)
Red Cards:
Montrose - Aidan Quinn (71)
Attendance:
705
