By Gary McKenzie
October 25 2003

Scottish Football League Division Three, Saturday 25 October 2003, Links Park, Montrose. MONTROSE 5 (Michie (28), Black (54, 83), Kerrigan (80), Smith (89)) EAST STIRLINGSHIRE 1 (Ure (11)) Caretaker boss, Henry Hall, celebrated his first match in charge with a resounding 5-1 thumping of basement-boys, East Stirlingshire.

The Mo team showed two changes from last week's defeated side (Donachie in for Greig Smith and Michie in for Watt), and Elliot Smith lined up at left back with Stuart Ferguson moving in to centre half as injuries to Greig Smith and Simpson left us short in that position.

East Stirling seemed to settle quicker and shocked the home support by taking the lead after 11 minutes. Ure ran on to a through-ball and chipped over Hanky, who perhaps went down a bit early, to claim the opener.

Montrose rallied and seized control of the match and it was no surprise when after 28 minutes Michie collected the ball on the left side of the penalty area and drove in a shot which was deflected into the Shire net for the equaliser.

Montrose really should have gone in ahead as Martin Wood inexplicably missed the target with just the keeper to beat, but the half ended all-square.

Montrose were quickly out of the traps in the second half, and Smart was unlucky with a header from a Webster cross which smashed off the post.

However, the Shire defence was about to open up spectacularly and on 54 minutes Black found himself in space on the left of the box and fired a fine strike across the keeper to put the Mo ahead.

Shire were still creating the odd chance, and had their strikers been a bit more accurate, the game might have been much closer.

After 80 minutes, Kerrigan did brilliantly to find himself space in the box. He received the ball with his back to goal and turned his marker, drove the ball home and put the Mo on easy street.

Black put the Mo further ahead on 83 minutes with a virtual carbon copy of his earlier goal, then Mackay was sent off for Shire - I'm afraid I was too busy celebrating to see why!

Worryingly, Kerrigan had to go off injured, and with Gibson, Watt and Sharp having come on for Wood, Black and Michie, Montrose also finished the game with 10 men.

As full-time approached, Elliot Smith struck the best goal of the game, and his first for the Mo, with a shot from 25 yards that the keeper could only palm into the net.

So a great start fo Henry Hall, and if he really wants the Mo manager's job, this will do his chances no harm at all. The proof of the pudding, however, will surely be results against the better teams in the league, and next Saturday's game away to Peterhead should offer a tougher test.

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Teams

Montrose: Hankinson, Donachie, Ferguson, McQuillan, Elliot Smith, Webster, Kerrigan, Smart, Black, Wood, Michie

Subs: Gibson, Sharp, Watt, Stephen, Gilpin

East Stirlingshire: Connolly, Hare, McAuley, Reid, Polwart, Livingston, McGhee, MacKay, Baldwin, Ure, Kelly

Subs: Rodden, Boyle, McLaren, Leishman, Todd

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BBC Sport Report