Montrose 2 Dunfermline 2

Saturday, 8th Jan 2011

Scottish Cup Fourth Round from Links Park: Kirk and McGregor in for Clarke and Dowie. Tosh (27) 0-1; Clarke (73) 1-1; Kirk (81) 2-1; Tosh (91) 2-2.

MATCH PICTURES
Dunfermline Athletic faced Montrose in just their second ever Scottish Cup pairing and it was the Fifers first visit to Links Park since the Skol Cup took them there in August 1992.   On both those occasions the visitors progressed to the next round and so in an attempt to repeat those achievements Manager Jim McIntyre made two changes for the trip north. Neil McGregor and Andy Kirk were preferred to Andy Dowie and Pat Clarke.  Ryan Thomson replaced Joe Cardle on the bench to fulfil the U21 requirement.

Montrose were without the suspended Chris Hegarty and both Sean Crighton and Martin Boyle dropped to the bench as in came their Player/Manager Steven Tweed, Paul Tosh and Aaron Sinclair. The artificial playing surface was very wet but it was sunshine that welcomed the Fifers and their travelling support to the Angus Riviera.

McDougall and Kirk got the cup tie underway defending the goal at the sea end. Montrose`s Sinclair was the first to fire at target but his fourth minute shot from 30 yards was easily blocked. David Graham was squeezed out by Terry Masson as the Pars threatened to penetrate the home defences. That gave Paul Willis the opportunity to send in a dangerous ball from a free kick on the left but the defence headed away on their six yard line.

An Austin McCann cross landed at the feet of Willis in the tenth minute but he was too surprised to find the ball carry through to him to take the chance. Next a swiftly moved ball from Willis sent Kirk into the penalty box and Tweed conceded a corner.  McGregor came close with his header from Willis` corner, the ball rattling the left goalpost. Kirk then tested Sandy Wood with a low curling shot that the man in the green shirt got down on his knees to hold.

A 15th minute Pars corner was headed high over the bar by Alex Keddie but having got to grips with the playing surface the Pars began to dominate. Andy Kirk fired a fiercely struck shot off the right post and McDougall hit the rebound at the keeper. So it was well against the run of play when the Third Division side took the lead after 27 minutes. Nicky Smith fed Paul TOSH the ball on the right, he then raced away from Keddie before despatching a shot that found the net off the left post.

The Pars came back down the pitch again with Graham promising a breakthrough and both Kirk and Mason shooting at goal.  Graham stuck a McCann cross wide left from just 8 yards out and ten minutes before half time McDougall headed a Woods cross over the crossbar. A Montrose free kick then nearly produced a second goal.  Dougie Cameron`s left footed chip cleared the defence and Gordon Pope made a run to meet the ball but sent it over the bar from 12 yards out.

A 40th minute Willis corner from the left was headed towards goal by Woods but McGregor`s flying header sent the ball over the bar from close in. Willis had a crack from 30 yards but again the crossbar was too low.

Half Time: Montrose 1 Dunfermline 0

Macca`s men started the second half strongly and were really unlucky not to get the equaliser in 48 minutes. Davie Graham swung a ball over from the left touchline and at the far post Gary Mason volleyed  but hit the sidenetting. A Willis corner from the left was headed over the crossbar by McGregor as the Fifers fortunes continued to desert them.

Come on Ye Pars greeted Willis` 54th minute corner where Phinn shot wide and keeping up the pressure Keddie chipped a shot over the bar. Tweed conceded a 56th minute corner but his team kept that out as well. Three minutes later Woods turned Willis corner outside the left post and the Pars continued to push up with McCann and McDougall combining well without creating the chance to shoot.

In 64 minutes Graham took on the entire Montrose defence, wriggling his way through to shoot from 15 yards but Wood at full stretch saved a certain goal. In fact it was Montrose who could have scored next as Tosh again made tracks for the Dunfermline goal.  Keddie couldn`t stop the angled shot and the ball came back off the same post that had prevented Kirk in the first half.

The Fife buses had moved into the street behind the Montrose goal with 20 minutes remaining and it looked increasingly likely that those buses were going to be conveying home some really disappointed fans.  But in 73 minutes latching on to a slipped pass from Graham, substitute Pat CLARKE pulled out a shot from 25 yards that Wood in the home goal just couldn`t hold.  The ball took a deflection off Steven Tweed and travelled off him into the net for a very welcome equaliser.

Graham went on another solo run and again the Montrose keeper performed with style to deny Dunfermline. When Clarke was pulled down nine minutes from time Willis fired in a free kick from the left that Clarke flicked on as the ball made its way on to the right post.  McGregor failed to connect as the ball rebounded across goal but KIRK in front of the keeper, turned it in off his knee for the Pars second. 2-1 to the Fifers.

Montrose forced their first corner in 89 minutes; that led to their second but McGregor headed clear. The Angus side kept up the pressure with a McNally throw in towards goal.  The ball was cleared initially but pumped back in for Tweed to chalenge on the six yard line along with McGregor and Keddie.  The ball fell to TOSH on the right side and his left foot was too quick for the efforts of Clarke and Phinn to prevent his shot and the ball was sent crashing past Chris Smith.  The equaliser came in the first minute of added time so there was no time to respond and a replay is necessary on Tuesday night (weather permitting).

Dunfermline had umpteen corners but those and their final balls in particular let them down. Yes Sandy Wood, the home goalie had two or three great saves but Montrose fought well to the bitter end to deserve another crack at overcoming the Pars.

MONTROSE: Sandy Wood; Stephen McNally,Alan Campbell, Steven Tweed, Gordon Pope; Ross McCord (Martin Boyle 80), Terry Masson (Connor Thomson, 86), Aaron Sinclair, Dougie Cameron; Nicky Smith (Hugh Davidson 60), Paul Tosh
SUBS NOT USED: Sean Crighton, Tim Capstick (GK).
SCORERS: Tosh (27, 91)
YELLOW CARD: Smith (42), McNally (58)

DUNFERMLINE: Chris Smith; Calum Woods, Neil McGregor, Alex Keddie, Austin McCann (c); Paul Willis, Nick Phinn, Gary Mason, David Graham; Andy Kirk, Steven McDougall (Pat Clarke 65)
SUBS NOT USED: Alex Burke, Ryan Thomson, Andy Dowie, Kyle Allison (GK)
SCORERS: Clarke (73), Kirk (81)
YELLOW CARD: Woods (56)

REFEREE: Crawford Allan
WEATHER: Sunny 2°C
ATTENDANCE 1030

NEXT MATCH: (home) Scottish Cup Replay v Montrose
Tuesday 11th January 2010, kick off 7.45pm

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Preview Montrose

Wednesday, 5th Jan 2011

Pitch Inspection

Admission Prices: Adults £13, Concessions £7.

After years of seemingly being drawn against the same teams in the Scottish Cup, for example last season`s match was the 21st against Celtic, Dunfermline find themselves with a fascinating fourth round tie away to Montrose on Saturday 8th January.

The Pars tie against the Third Division side is only the second time that they have been drawn together in the Scottish Cup and the last time was more than fifty years ago. Indeed the only other Scottish Cup match against Montrose was played at Links Park on 14th February 1959 when an Alex Smith goal was the difference between the teams in a hard fought encounter. Dunfermline went on to reach the quarter finals that season where they went out to eventual Cup winners, St Mirren. The attendance was a pretty good 1,899, something that we wouldn`t expect to be surpassed this time!

However it is reasonable to expect a good following of fans to Montrose with this change from the routine of league football.  Trains to Montrose on Saturday at 11.03 and 12.03 from Dunfermline to Montrose, changing at Inverkeithing and Dundee cost £21.70 return.

Milestones v Montrose (away)
Last Victory	12/08/92	6-0	League Cup
Last Defeat	09/05/87	0-1	First Division
Best Victory	12/08/92	6-0	League Cup
Worst Defeat	06/09/30	0-3	Div Two (old)

Montrose are not a side that Dunfermline have played much in any competition.  Just thirty league matches in total over the years, resulting in 17 wins for the Pars, 4 for Montrose and 9 draws. The teams have never met in the recently introduced Scottish Challenge Cup and have had just three meetings in the League Cup all of which were won by Dunfermline.  It was this competition that provided the most recent match, again at Links Park, when one Jim Leishman was Montrose manager.  On the glorious 12th 1992 Dunfermline won by a whopping 6-0.

Montrose may have been one of the lowest placed league clubs in recent seasons but there are undoubtedly signs of a revival under new manager Steven Tweed and his Assistant, former Par Ray Farningham.  They enjoyed a good 3-1 win over Whitehill Welfare in the last round and will no doubt be relishing the opportunity to take a First Division scalp.

Season	MONTROSE				DUNFERMLINE
2009-10	A	Hibs	1-5	Round 5	H	Celtic	2-4	Round 5
2008-09	A	Clyde	0-2	Round 3	N	Falkirk	1-3	Semi Final
2007-08	A	Clyde	0-2	Round 3	A	Partick Thistle	1-2	Round 4
2006-07	A	Deveronvale	2-3	Round 1	N	Celtic	0-1	Final
2005-06	A	Alloa Athletic	0-1	Round 2	H	Airdrie United	3-4	Round 3
2004-05	H	Queen of the South	1-2	Round 3	H	Celtic	0-3	Round 4
2003-04	A	Livingston	0-1	Round 3	N	Celtic	1-3	Final

Montrose have only lost one Scottish Cup tie at home in the last nine seasons - the 2-1 defeat to Queen of the South in 2004-05. They are are currently seventh in Division Three with 13 points from 15 games and have managed only two league wins in front of their home support all season against Arbroath and Clyde.  The Pars have been to Hampden three times in the last seven seasons.

Form last six matches
Montrose				Dunfermline Athletic
Arbroath (H)	L	0-5		Raith Rovers (A)	L	1-2
Elgin City (H)	L	0-1		Cowdenbeath (H)	W	5-0
Arbroath (A)	L	0-4		Partick Thistle (H)	D	0-0
Annan Athletic (A)	D	2-2		Queen of the South (H)	W	1-0
Albion Rovers (H)	L	0-2		Raith Rovers (H)	D	2-2
Berwick Rangers (H)	D	1-1		Morton (A)	L	1-2

Montrose have not won a league game since 2nd October but they have won two Scottish Cup ties in the interim against Arbroath and Whitehill Welfare.  Their top goalscorer with nine goals is 37 year old Paul Tosh but he hasn`t hit the net since October.  Not that that will mean much since Gregory Tade hadn`t hit the net since September until 2nd January.

Dunfermline have lost two of their last three away games and haven`t won on the road since defeating Partick Thistle in September.

Last Time Out

DUNFERMLINE (v Raith Rovers): Chris Smith; Calum Woods, Andy Dowie, Alex Keddie, Austin McCann (c); Paul Willis (Joe Cardle 74), Nick Phinn, Gary Mason, David Graham;  Pat Clarke (Andy Kirk 67), Steven McDougall.
SUBS NOT USED: Neil McGregor, Ryan Thomson, Kyle Allison (GK)

MONTROSE (v Arbroath): Sandy Wood; Chris Hegarty, Gordon Pope, Alan Campbell, Shaun Crighton, Terry Masson (Hugh Davidson 60), Ross McCord, Stephen McNally, Nicky Smith (Aaron Sinclair 60), Martin Boyle (Paul Tosh 60), Dougie Cameron
SUBS NOT USED: Connor Thomson, Jamie Robbie

Referee will be Crawford Allan.

Views : 5,713