jd_mo

Excellent first half, especially Thomson's second goal: a great solo run. That said, Edinburgh were absolutely awful defensively in the first half. We definitely lost the bit between the teeth as the game wore on and the points were secured. But a solid win. Good to see Steeves back.

Week 3: Celtic

Week 2: Hamilton

Week 1: Stirling Albion

Whereas our 'demise' perhaps has a bit more substance to it. After a slow but steady start it's now 1 Montrose win in the last 8 league games. Include the 5-2 undoing by Darvel in the Scottish Cup and defeat to QP in the Challenge Cup and we have won 1 of the last 10 games. Dunfermline away followed by Edinburgh at home: I would hope we can get out of this streak of not winning, but think we'll struggle to pick up anything from this weekend or the next. Ever the optimist, I hope we can!

Replays of our goals from behind their keeper: https://www.facebook.com/100001627983423/posts/pfbid024roMbzRY4EhgZxTKB5EQC3Y126DSyiYSbzBuQ5W7MhPbe3qXcxYfSftnzxTPfE4Kl/

Agree with you there - still remember the footage on YouTube of the game (which seems to have disappeared now) and as Woody's drive leaves his boot you hear someone in the stand near the camera shouting "that's in". All I can remember was general chaos and jumping around after 2 goals in 2 minutes.

Airdrie - great bunch of lads.

From my vantage point on a fence behind Mackenzie, that was a beaut of a curler into Mackenzie's top left corner. Good pen from Webby too. Not the best view but after 8 months it's a treat. Let's hold on now.

There's bound to be a player somewhere on Saturday who tries fake coughing on opponents at a corner to get them to take a step away?

They're all big games between now and the end of the season, but we have a real split of games: Compared to our haul of 21 points from the last 30 available, our next three are: East Fife (13 points); Forfar (7 points); Peterhead (8 points). Three games we must surely be looking to take full points from. On current form, the three above us should be looking to pick up maximum points from their three games too. We then have an incredibly tricky run of games at the start of April, playing the 3 above us back to back: Raith (21 points out of last 30); Airdrie (16 points); Falkirk (21 points). On those 3 weekends, in-form Clyde will have a big part to play, as they face Falkirk and Raith, and on the other weekend Airdrie face Falkirk. So the top 4 are all bound to be dropping points in April. That then leaves us with our final two games of the season, at home to Clyde and then away to Dumbarton (knowing that on the final day either Falkirk or Raith (or both) will drop points against each other and Airdrie face a tricky trip to Clyde). This has been a proper geeky way to spend my lunch today, but to be sitting working out permutations over who plays who at the top end of the table, having done it at the other end of the table for many a season, is great! It won't be easy; far from it; but it is very much in our own hands now to finish as high up the table as we like!

Team that finished the 90 would probably be a good shout for starting midweek: near the end, their backline looked unable to cope with the pace of CJ, Callaghan and Webby, with some nice forward passes from Cammy F and Masson. Whatever SP goes for, a strong line up is needed for what will be another tricky away fixture.

Came on here to see what Clyde fans were saying about our game tonight, but was drawn to this. We've a really good community engagement programme at Montrose and while I know this is a little out of date it's still a good video. You can contact the Links Park Community Trust on 01674 677582 or projects@montrosect.org.uk They've recently done a couple of 'golfing memories' sessions as well, so might have resources they'd be able to share or point you in the direction of [emoji106]

North Calder is my name, Went to Links Park to watch the game. No signs anywhere! Plastic barrier? No fair! Next time I will just stay at hame.

We normally get our highlights out after a day or two. Did notice a Dumbarton lad moving their GoPro from behind the goal at halftime too.

Spot on there; fair summary. Was surprised to see BBC stats had us at only 51% possession. Felt we were in complete control but too often played one pass too many, or failed to connect with some good quality crosses. Many chances both halves to add to the tally, and thought it had more of a training game feel about it at times. The sort of game you wouldn't be surprised to grab a handful. Dumbarton hit the post first half but very little else from memory. The fact that your keeper got the assist for your goal (iirc) suggests we had maybe switched off at the very end, but decent finish. Would have had Masson as my motm rather than CJ, but it's another 3 points so while the clothes are still drying, I'm happy.

I started typing that same post yesterday but then deleted it. Couldn't bring myself to post something like that!

Shame to be losing Martin and Blair (eventually), but does show player pathway to others who might be looking to step up to SPFL football and move up, who might have previously overlooked Montrose.

Fairly entertaining game as a neutral with no Montrose game today. McAllister looked a lot more sharp/interested than he had done for Peterhead this season. Cove deserved winners and strolled the game after the red card, with their sub 19 passing up on a few good chances to cut back for certain additional goals in the dying stages. That said, Cowden keeper had a good game and kept the scoreline respectable. Bollan furious with ref for Cove second, as stand side linesman flagged offside as McAllister broke through and won a soft looking penalty, which was given. Second half, and the far side linesman then told Cowden number 6 that Cox was sent off for violent conduct of "headbutting a fan", which then set him off: "where's the injured fan then?" was a fair response, but there was no response from the truly awful refereeing team. I despair at the quality in L1 sometimes, but these guys were card-happy and completely lost control of an otherwise entertaining game. From the couple of Cove games I've seen this season, Scully, Megginson and Milne in particular look too good for L2 level. Wouldn't be surprised to see Cove step up next season and give us Montrose fans in Aberdeen a 'home' game.

For those who may have removed such memories from their mind: this popped up on my news feed today, from 10 years ago - Saturday 16th Jan 2010. Montrose 4-2 up at home to Stranraer with 15 to play. We were yet to register a win in the league and were deep in the midst of a terrible Weir run and looked like finally registering a league win. Boyler warmed the bench that day, and we ended up losing 4-5. Goal scorers on the day for us: 2 for Paul Tosh, 1 for Maitland and 1 for Alan Campbell, who I found out just recently is still kicking around and has just re-signed for Scone Thistle.

What the stats don't tell you is how much of a tool that ref was. Big win today.

Back to the game for a second... Lennox kept us in it at 1 up (which I thought was Steeves' goal) with 2 excellent saves, mirrored by Clyde's keeper pulling off a similarly excellent couple of saves. But apart from that, the Santa boys offered very little. At 2 up, Webby (who was again on form on the right) stole a horrendous defensive mix up and should have made it 3, but it was a good end to see Rennie get 2 and off the mark for the season. We've taken 25 points from the last 10 league games which is excellent form. Given our awful start, to have achieved half of last season's brilliant points tally in less than half of the season shows what an excellent run we're on. It's still a tricky game next week against a Falkirk side who don't concede many, and then away to misfiring Forfar, but the start of the new year could see us in a very strong position.

Still not sure why Lyons'goal was disallowed, and there were a couple of goalmouth scrambles before then too when we were very close. Lennox had nothing to do all game apart from pick the ball out of his net and claim a couple of crosses. To Raith's credit they put away their one shot. Had we done that first half when we were very well on top, I'd like to think we'd have won. For all our excellent possession and play, we did lack a killer instinct today. But it's been there before and will come back soon enough if we keep playing like that. The front 3 pressing in the first half was great to watch and we looked solid at the back too. Shame to lose our unbeaten league run, but there have been many winter games under the floodlights in the not too distant past where it's been a far far worse performance. On to the next game.

I started making a list last week but gave up after the depressing memories it kept bringing back having tried hard to forget some players! Am sure there are many more Montrose fans who have done similar! Defensively I'd have added in Ewan Moyes with special mention to 'experienced' Phil McQuire who should have been retired from league football by the time we took him on. There was also a young, tall lad who I think we got from Raith (I want to say Wilson) who was always more concerned about his combed over hair style than his on field abilities. Gavin Malin never seemed to do it for me in midfield, and neither did Paul Harkins. Plenty midfield candidates brought in by HH in the preceding years too, including one who the terraces taught me the true meaning of the word nepotism. Up front I'd pop a certain Mr Gemmell, and sadly just outside the time period in discussion would be Willie Martin: Released, if I remember correctly, for 'lack of commitment to training', after attempting scorpion kicks in goal during warm-up despite declaring himself unfit. Thankfully we've turned a corner the last few years. When we find ourselves without SP I dread the return of more candidates!

No real surprise to see SP and Webby winning manager and player of the month for October. Well deserved. Has been an excellent run of results and hoping that continues today.