By Gary McKenzie
February 14 2004

Scottish Football League Division Three, Saturday 14 February 2004, Links Park, Montrose. MONTROSE 4 (Gibson (2), Michie (pen 9, pen 63), Sharp (19)) ELGIN CITY 3 (Bone (39, 72, 84)) The game was preceeded by a respectful minute's silence for former Gable Endie, Allan Kennedy, who sadly passed away recently.



I don't know what Henry said or did to the players this week, but it worked. Montrose came out fighting and with only two minutes on the clock, Michie managed to get to the bye-line near to goal and did well to hold off the Elgin defence to pull back for Gibson who rifled in a fine goal from the edge of the box.

Montrose were pinning Elgin back in their own half and the second came when Michie was upended in the Elgin box. Michie took the penalty himself and made no mistake.

Montrose were unlucky not to be awarded another penalty soon after when Michie was again fouled at the edge of the box, but the referee baulked at the prospect of two penalties in quick succession and waved play on.

Montrose were cruising and went three up in twenty minutes when a brilliant Sharp run ended in him rounding the keeper and he showed great composure to steady himself before scoring.

Elgin managed to pull one back against the run of play when Ferguson was unlucky for the ball to bounce off him and into the path of Bone who finished well.

Montrose kept up the pressure in the second half, and, although the far side linesman was extremely dubious with some of his offside flags, Martin Wood was sent sprawling in the box on 63 minutes for another penalty. Again Michie lived up to his reputation as the Mo's penalty king, slotting it away efficiently.



To give credit to Davie Robertson's Elgin side, they never gave up, and Bone was their danger man down the right. Elliot Smith dealt with him effectively for most of the game, but couldn't stop him securing his hat-trick with goals in 72 and 84 minutes.

With minutes remaining, Henderson was sent on for Webster, who had recovered from a heated exchange with an Elgin player earlier and Greig Smith came on for Graham Sharp with Fergie moving to left back and Elliot Smith, who had an excellent game again, taking up left midfield.



This was a great game, although I would have preferred the Mo to have wrapped up the points earlier with the numerous chances they created, Sharp in particular being wasteful in front of goal, and Michie failing to find his striking partner, Wood, on a couple of occasions. Our strikers will need to take any chances they get against league leaders, Stirling Albion at Links Park next Saturday.

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Teams

Montrose: Butter, Donachie, McQuillan, Ferguson, Elliot Smith, Webster, Gibson, Smart, Sharp, Michie, Wood

Subs: Greig Smith, Henderson, Spink, Hall, Hankinson.

Elgin: Pirie, Coulter, McKenzie, Tully, Dempsie, McMullan, Allison, Hind, Addicoat, Bone, Campbell

Subs: White, McMillan, McLean, Martin, Hamilton

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Official Montrose FC site

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