LOWEST OF THE MO
By Gary McKenzie
March 22 2006
Scottish Football League Division THree, Tuesday 21 March 2006, Gayfield Park, Arbroath. ARBROATH 3 (Swankie (7, 35, 36)) MONTROSE 0. Gavin Swankie was the Smokies golden boy with a first half hat-trick.
On a freezing night in Arbroath, Montrose produced our worst derby performance that I can remember and ended up with 10 men as habitual bad-boy Barry Donachie saw red for two bookable offences.
The game was only 7 minutes old when a defensive mix up allowed SWANKIE in to fire the ball past Wood.
Davidson had a chance for the Mo in 11 monutes when he ran on to a through ball but fired hopelessly over. He was then booked for a heavy challenge on Swankie.
On 20 minutes, Arbroath's Watson volleyed from just outside the box and Wood made a brilliant two-handed diving save to deny them.
Donachie then cleared a goalbound effort off the line.
In 35 minutes, McMullen picked up the ball on the halfway line and ran through a ruck of Montrose players, fed SWANKIE On the right and the striker fired home to make it two.
A minute later SWANKIE volleyed home a cutback to finish the match as a contest.
Arbroath were mixing things up, using high balls but also sweeping wing play and good passing interchanges. Montrose, on the other hand, seemed content to lump the ball up in the hope that McLeod and Middleton could hold it up long enough for support to reach them. Not nice.
Brash ended up in the book for a foul on 41 minutes.
A bit of light relief at half-time on hearing the band Smokie over the tannoy. How apt - they were big in the seventies as well.
Any hope of a comeback in the second half faded quickly as the game became scrappy and Middleton was quickly booked for what looked like a 50-50 challenge.
The game threatened to erupt in 50 minutes as most of the outfield players became embroiled in a centre circle scuffle after Dobbins felled Middleton. Dobbins and Henslee were booked for their part and Dobbins was hooked by their manager soon afterwards and replaced by Bishop.
In 53 minutes, Donachie was needlessly booked for dissent after a stupid dispute with the referee over a throw in.
The ineffective McLeod was replaced by Watson on 55 minutes.
Smith was booked for the home side on the hour for kicking the ball away.
Donachie saw a second yellow and red on 65 minutes for a late challenge.
Swankie received the acclaim of the home fans on 67 minutes as he was replaced by Reilly
With 15 minutes to go, Webster replaced Davidson who had been fortunate to stay on the park. Black came on for Smith for Arbroath.
Last meaningful action was Russell coming on for Middleton and Calum Watson ending up in the ref's book.
I'm sure I'll have nightmares about this game for a long time. Montrose didn't compete and fortunately Arbroath took their foot off the gas in the second half or it could have been even more embarrassing. Arbroath fully deserved their victory and gave us a lesson in imaginative attacking play.
Teams
Arbroath
Peat, Rennie, McCulloch, Raeside, Dobbins, McMullen, Watson, Smith, Voight, Swankie, Stein
Subs: Bishop, Black, Reilly, Cook, Inglis
Montrose
Wood, Donachie, Fraser, Hay, Ferguson, Davidson, Fotheringham, Henslee, Middleton, McLeod, Brash
Subs: Webster, Russell, Watson, Corre, Hankinson