NO MERCY FROM MERCER
By Gary McKenzie at Links Park
January 16 2005
Scottish Football League Division Three, Saturday 15 January 2005, Links Park, Montrose. MONTROSE 0 ALBION ROVERS 1 (Mercer (37)). Montrose should have been up for this after a good cup performance against QoS last week, but bossless Albion had other ideas...
Montrose went on the attack straight from kick off in this game, unusually shooting towards the Wellington Street end in the first half. However it was Rovers who had the first shot on goal in 5 minutes but it went well wide.
Montrose forced a couple of corners and were passing the ball well on the ground, but failed to make any progress against a stubborn Rovers back four.
Butter had to look lively after a short header back in 14 minutes and the veteran keeper saved well.
Clearly manager Henry Hall was as frustrated as the rest of us at our lack of penetration when he roared "Stop going sideways!" at the players after 16 minutes.
Butter got down well to save again after 17 minutes when Rovers had a low shot from outside the box.
Sharp could have opened the scoring after 19 minutes when Doyle burst thorugh into 
midfield and delivered a great looping diagonal pass to the winger, but he shot high and wide.
Rovers had evidently come to try and frustrate Montrose, and their players continually took ridiculous amounts of time to take goal kicks, throw ins and free kicks.
Montrose were guilty of trying to bee too intricate when Woody made his way into the box on 28 minutes courtesy of a good Smart pass. However, he elected to try and cutback to Kerrigan who shot wide.
Sharp did well on 33 minutes when he twisted and turned in the box and found Kerrigan with a pass but the captain's shot was deflected wide. Doyle headed wide from the corner.
On 37 minutes Albion won a corner on the far side which was hotly disputed by the home players. MERCER rose well at the near post to open the scoring.
On 51 minutes, Webster shot wide then Smart shot straight at the keeper.
Kerrigan showed determination in 61 minutes when he robbed the defender but shot straight at the keeper.
The manager responded to calls to change the side when he introduced Watson for Wood in 63 minutes. Rovers responded by replacing Fleming with Selkirk.
Ferguson was booked on 70 minutes for a bad foul.
Montrose went close on 72 minutes when Webster sent over a fine first-time cross and Smart headed just over.
The referee finally remembered where his cards were when he booked Fahey in the Rovers goal for timewasting at a goal kick. The keeper had been doing it for the whole game!
On 74 minutes, Greenhill replaced Hall for the Mo.
Webster was felled by a full body check on 76 minutes. He got the foul but the defender should really have been booked.
On 77 minutes Montrose were awarded a corner. Webster sent over a good ball which Watson met well, but the keeper made a good save.
With 10 minutes to go, Henry Hall made the last throw if the dice and sent on Slater for Sharp. Rovers replaced Wallace with Patrick.
Friel of Rovers was booked on 82 minutes again for timewasting and Mercer was booked for a foul on Webster with 5 minutes to go.
This was one of the Mo's worst performances this season. Too many passes didn't reach their target and too many balls were hopefully thumped up the park. Daft, particularly in the strong winds on Saturday. We also tried to be too intricate at times when a more direct approach might have paid off. Rovers knew they weren't as good a side, but set out to unsettle us and credit to them because it worked.
Teams
Montrose
Butter, Donachie, Ferguson, Doyle, Stephen, Kerrigan, Webster, Smart, Wood, Hall, Sharp
Subs: Dodds, Slater, Watson, Greenhill, Hankinson
Albion
Fahey, Connolly, Paterson, Friel, Wallace, Potter, McKenzie, Silvestro, Fleming, Bradford, Mercer
Subs: Black, Selkirk, Partick, McNulty, Peat
Other match reports
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/4173181.stm
http://www.montrose-mad.co.uk/news/loadrprt.asp?cid=MTCH&id=199628
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=154050&cc=5739