SHIRE 0 MONTROSE 3

Shire ended 2007 on a low note after losing yet again to bogey side Montrose at Firs Park.

Gordon Wylde's side competed gamely in a fairly even first half and, at the interval, there were a genuine feeling the game was nicely poised. 

But some poor defending gave the visitors the initiative and, withing seven minutes of the re-start, they had established a 2-0 lead.

The home team's thoughtsof a comeback ended abruptly on 63 minutes when Joe Savage was sent-off for violent conduct and although the ten make battled on, Andy Rodgers scored a third Montrose goal on 79 minutes.

The Firs Parkers were even denied a late consolation goal when Montrose keeper Mark Peat saved Andrew Brand's injury-time penalty kick.

For their last outing of the year Shire kept the changes to a minimum after the defeat at Dumbarton. Gary Kelly was still not fit enough to return, but Gordon Moffat was given his first start in a while in place of Paul Brownlie.

Shire were the first to show any menance and might have taken the lead after just three minutes. Andrew Brand was released clear down the left and he squared the ball to Derek Ure. The home man looked well-placed to score but, as he shot, his effort was blocked by Steven Dorris.

Marco Andreoni responded for Montrose but his 20 yard effort after eight minutes lack any real menace and Michael Brown saved easily.

Marc McKenzie was making good progress down the Shire right and on 10 minutes he cracked in a shot that flew just wide of Mark Peat's right-hand post.

The Montrose frontmen started to make headway and, after 14 minutes, Gary Wood got in behind the Shire defence but his effort was blocked by the advancing Brown.

After 27 minutes Shire were denied a clear-cut penalty kick when Joe Savage clearly had his jersey pulled inside the box as he challenged for the ball with Montrose's Keith Gibson but the match officials chose to ignore his claims and play raged on.

Towards the end of the first period Shire appeared to have the upper hand but they wasted sa glorious opportunity just moments before the interval when McKenzie skipped past the defence, but, with four unmarked Shire players waiting for his cross, he failed to get it past the defender at the near post.

Just three minutes after the half-time break Montrose seized the initiative and scored with just their first real chance of the match.

A slip on the edge of the box by Carl Thywissen let Wood clean through on goal and although his effort was brilliantly saved by Brown, Stephen Black was waiting unmarked to collect the rebound and fire it into the empty net.

Later it was revealed Thywissen had been suffering from blurred vision at the time and not long after he was substituted by David King, who went to left-back with Stephen Oates moving into the centre of defence to partner Paul Doyle.

But the changes did not change Shire's fortunes and, on 52 minutes, they went 2-0 behind in freakish circumstances.

Keith Gibson hit a speculative 25 yarder that was going nowhere near Michael Brown's goal but the ball took a deflection off Steven Doris's heel and landed perfectly into the path of Wood who beat Brown with a well-taken shot.

Shire's chances were diminishing and then disappeared altogether in 63 minutes when Joe Savage was sent-off following an off-the-ball incident involving Montrose full-back Stephen Thomson.

There were concerns too for Gordon Moffat, who had to be stretchered off and taken to hospital following a midfield challenge.

With no hope of a comeback the game simply went to sleep but was woken from its slumbers with the introduction of Montrose substitute, Andy Rodgers.

He had barely been on the pitch a minute but he was in the right place at the right time to head home from point-blank range after Ross Gardiner had knocked Black's deep centre across the face of goal from the back post.

Shire were even denied a consolation goal in injury-time. Derek Ure went down inside the box after a challenge from Chris McLeod. Andrew Brand took the resulting penalty kick but Mark Peat pushed it over the crossbar.

Shire : Brown, Gibb, Oates, Doyle, Thywissen(King 52), Moffat(Brownlie 75), McKenzie, Brand, Savage, Donaldson(Simpson 66), Ure.

Montrose : Peat, Cumming, Thomson, McLeod, Gardiner, Gibson(Dobbins 85), Doris, Andreoni, Wood, Baird(Rodgers 78), Black(Stein 83).

Referee : T. Robertson

Attendance : 295.

 

 

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