DE-MO-LISHED

Sharpy
By Gary McKenzie @ Links Park
April 24 2005

Scottish Football League Division Three, Saturday 23 April 2005, Links Park, Montrose. MONTROSE 0 GRETNA 4 (Townsley (33), Nicholls (55), Deuchar (83, 88)). Montrose's unbeaten run comes to an end against an impressive Gretna at Links Park.

Montrose entered this game with injuries mounting. First team regulars Fraser, Ferguson and Doyle were all out and so Henry Hall had to shuffle things around, not for the first time this season. More encouraging, however, was the inclusion of long-term injury victim, Stevie Kerrigan on the bench. Darren Spink replaced Fergie in central defence and Dodds started on the left of midfield with Sharp joining Wood up front. Hall and Smart took up position in the middle.

Gretna showed why they are champions straight away and went close early on, but ball thankfully ended up behind for a corner.

Montrose got a freekick on the left edge of the penalty area on four minutes, but Woody fired over.

Gretna were forced into a substitution on 6 minutes when Aitken had to be stretchered off after going down near the centre circle. Veteran beanpole Derek Townsley took his place for the visitors.

Kenny Deuchar almost opened the scoring for Gretna on 9 minutes when he headed wide a good cross from their right.

Woody vollleyed over from just inside the box on 14 minutes after a good knockdown.

On 20 minutes, Innes headed a corner on to the bar and the ball was shepherded behind to safety.

Donachie picked up a booking on 30 minutes for a trip, but the card looked harsh as the Gretna man made the most of the challenge.

The opener came in 33 minutes, and it was so easy. A corner was floated over and sub TOWNSLEY got his head to it at the back post to make it 1-0.

In 40 minutes, Innes made a good run but shot just wide.

Butter kept the Mo in it just before half-time with a great point blank save. Woody should have done better as the Mo broke up the park, but he shot meekly at the keeper. Woody was sinner again when Sharp made a great run into the Gretna box. He passed to Wood and looked for the return, but Woody decided to shoot and it went over.

Gretna went further ahead in 55 minutes when NICHOLLS received the ball at the edge of the Mo box after a save by Butter, and he volleyed it into the net.

Innes was then booked after the referee consulted with the linesman.

Amid growing calls for the manager to change things, Henry Hall hooked Euan Hall in 66 minutes and sent on gangly Ross Graham.

In 71 minutes, Elliot Smith was booked for a foul on the niggly Baldacchino.

With 15 minutes to go, Gretna made a double substitution. David Graham and Grainger came on for McQuilken and Baldacchino.

Tome was fading for the Mo and Woody fired wide on 81 minutes.

Kenny DEUCHAR got his customary goal on 83 minutes when he rose at the far post to head home on 83 minutes.

Dodds was booked on 86 minutes for a late challenge.

DEUCHAR rounded off a good performance for the visitors on 88 with another headed goal with Butter off his line.

Gretna are full of confidence and clearly have some quality in their side. They also look like they're all decended from Goliath, and our team of wee Davids found them a real handful.

Montrose drop to fifth with Cowdenbeath and Queen's Park making the leap in the other direction. The Mo have another tough one next week away to Peterhead.

Teams

Montrose

Butter, Donachie, Emith, Spink, Stephen, Dodds, Webster, Smart, Wood, Hall, Sharp

Subs: D Smith, R Graham, Watson, Kerrigan, Hankinson

Gretna

Main, Birch, McQuilken, Nicholls, Aitken, Innes, Baldacchino, McGuffie, Deuchar, Bingham, Skelton

Subs: D Graham, Townsley, Collins, Grainger, Mathieson

Other Match Reports

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_div_1/4471061.stm
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=155189&cc=5739
http://www.montrose-mad.co.uk/news/loadrprt.asp?cid=MTCH&id=218896