MONTROSE 3 SHIRE 1

A  poor start was Shire's undoing as the Firs Parkers slipped to their fifth straight defeat.

Montrose took the initiatitive right from the start and before half an hour was gone were 2-0 up. And although Shire mounted a spirited fightback in the second period they found that luck had deserted them in front of goal, while home keeper Mark Peat was in outstanding form.

Gordon Wylde pulled several surprises in his team selection. Carl Thywissen was moved from his normal centre-half berth to midfield and Stephen Oates started his first league game of the season on the right wing.

On loan Scott Gibb partnered David King in the centre of defence with Kevin McBride reverting to his normal left-back role.

Paul Brownlie continued to play in the linking role between midfield and lone striker, Joe Savage.

But the changes never got time to have any effect on the game. Montrose started as though they meant business and the visitors were lucky not to be a goal behind straight from the kick-off.

A clever pass from John Baird released Andy Rodgers in the inside-left channel and only the smart intervention of David King prevented a shot on goal. But from the resulting corner Ian Dobbins somehow sent a free header wide.

Shire were being torn apart by the good running and clever movement of the Montrose front duo.  With only three minutes on the clock a slide rule-perfect pass from Rodgers sliced Shire wide open and there was a thankful sigh of relief when Keith Gibson shanked his shot acros goal and behind.

The pressure was on and Shire had big problems. After eleven  minutes Jay Stein sent in a free-kick to Ross Gardiner but the Montrose full-back was left holding his head in his hands after sending a free header wide.

A Montrose goal seemed inevitable. On 17 minutes Rodgers skinned Gibb on the touchline and moved in-field only to be upended by a rash Gordon Moffat challenge. Ref Scott MacDonald pointed to the spot and Baird sent Darren Hill the wrong way with the penalty kick, low to the keeper's left.

After 27 minutes it was 2-0. Rodgers was allowed all the space and time he required to thread a pass through to Baird and while Hill hesitated over whether to come and meet the striker, Baird pushed the ball round him and into the net.

A minute before the interval Rodgers decided to try to get his name on the scoresheet and he narrowly failed with a clever lob over Hill which hit the crossbar.

Shire had to change things and they did. Thywissen was moved back to partner King in central defence. Gibb switched to right-back with Moffat going to right wing and Oates moving into central midfield.

The visitors were transformed by the tactical switches and within two minutes of the re-start Savage was denied by a brilliant double save from Peat in the Montrose goal.

The Firs Parkers now had their tails up and Savage was unlucky with a header from a Kevin McBride free-kick which drifted just wide. It was now all one-way traffic towards the Montrose goal and Oates supplied Moffat for a shot which brought a fantastic save from Peat.

All the Shire pressure told on the hour mark with a wonder goal from Savage. He received a pass from McBride with his back to goal 20 yards out. His turn dumbfounded his two Montrose minders and his curling shot which crept in at the far post was a thing of beauty.

It looked for all the world that the kind of comeback which had beaten Dumbarton and Albion Rovers was now on. Derek Ure's clever backheel released Brownlie but he couldn't get his shot away. The ball fell to Gary Kelly but he narrowly missed the target.

The visitors' search for the equaliser was their undoing, however. They left the back gate open and the fleet of foot Rodgers took full adavantage, dancing round a reduced Shire reargaurd on 67 minutes before placing the ball in the empty net.

But even at 3-1 Shire kept trrying to come forward. After 75 minutes Oates brought out another fine save from Peat with a diving header from McBride's free-kick.

Sean Simpson was a late substitute and, on 88 minutes, he had a great chance to reduce the leeway but his shot from the 18 yard line shaved the outside of the post.

Montrose : Peat, Cumming, Gardiner, McLeod, Dobbins, Andreoni(Donachie 71), Davidson(Gates 46), Gibson, Baird(Stewart 81), Rodgers, Stein.

Shire : Hill, Moffat(Simpson 82), K. McBride, King, Thywissen, Kelly, Oates(Struthers 82), Gibb, Savage, Brownlie, Ure.

Referee : Scott MacDonald

Attendance : 470.

 

Shire goalscorer Joe Savage in action at Links Park.

Carl Thywissen tries to get to grips with Andy Rodgers.

Photos : Andy Thomson

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