MONTROSE ROSELEA v KIRKCALDY YM
McBOOKIE.COM EAST PREMIER LEAGUE
SAT JAN 25TH 2014 KO 1.45pm
 

Despite the heavy overnight rain causing much problems with the Junior card it did not affect the Broomfield Park surface which looked excellent for a game. 

Roselea saw the return of Danny Ross from injury, Craig Anderson from suspension and Stuart Richardson from work but James Collier was a doubt and started on the bench. Three points were going to be a must against the team a place above, 5 points ahead however having also played two games more. Roselea started the match second bottom and due to cup matches a few teams were starting to pull away and the recent home defeat to Kirrie Thistle did not help matters. The sides had met in August at Denfield Park and Roselea squandered a 2-0 lead eventually going down 3-2 

Roselea: Mcleod, P Taylor, R Taylor, Reoch, Whyte, Anderson, Rae, Silva, Cruickshank, Watson & Reid. Subs: Riach, Collier, Ross, Richardson & Thomson. 

Kirkcaldy looked sharp out of the blocks pushing Roselea back and there was an early claim for a penalty when Watson tracked back and although the appeals were quite strong referee Ritchie was on the spot to decide it was not. 

YM continued to look the livlier side and after a spell of pressure a free header from a corner was easily seen behind by Mcleod in 8 minutes. Roselea did fall behind and it was certainly no shock considering Kirkcaldy were the better side to open. In 14 minutes a cross field pass caught Paul Taylor out as he slipped and Forbes took advantage by rounding Mcleod who pulled him down. There were a few tense moments with Roselea perhaps expecting a red card but the referee seemed to think the YM player’s touch had taken him wide. Once the yellow was shown O’NEILL steadied himself and struck a great penalty into the corner. 

This did seem to shake Roselea and they had a penalty appeal of their own in 18 minutes when there was contact on Calum Watson but he managed to get the ball back to Paul Whyte who had his shot blocked. 

In 25 minutes Roselea got back level. Watson was fouled just on the edge of the box with his assailant escaping a booking. He took the free kick himself and his low shot took a deflection which keeper Roy Ness palmed onto the post and Dale REID was on hand to bundle home from close range.  

Roselea played some great football on the half hour mark when Anderson and Watson combined to send Silva free at the back post but his cutback was cut out by keeper Ness. 

Forbes of Kirkcaldy then wriggled down the Roselea right flank however his pull back could not find one of the two YM players available in the middle. 

In 35 minutes Watson evaded his marker before spining and sending Cruickshank away on the left who in turn found Reid at the far post and he had to stretch to get his volley in and pulled the ball agonisingly wide of the post for what would have been a great goal. 

In 40 minutes Bisset the Kirkcaldy right back was booked for a terrible foul on Cruickshank and was perhaps lucky to stay on the pitch when he followed the tackle up with an afters elbow towards the winger. 

The match had been played in good spirits but a string of fouls was going to cost YM a goal in stoppage time of the first half. Silva sent in a great curling ball which Reid flicked on with his head and despite Ness getting in a save WHYTE was on hand to prod the ball over the line from close range.  

Half Time: Montrose Roselea 2 Kirkcaldy YM 1

Roselea made a switch at the break with Richardson coming in for Paul Taylor. 

There was an early chance for Kirkcaldy to equalise in 48 minutes when Gillfiallan was put clear on the right but after lifting the ball over the advancing Mcleod the ball was quite wide.

 Watson had a chance to extend the Roselea lead in 49 minutes as he wriggled clear in the box but he lifted his shot high over the bar and was disappointed with his finish. 

Roselea looked the side more likely to add to their scoreline but that was turned on its head in the 57th minute when Kirkcaldy equalised. Paul Whyte twice cleared and blocked shots but when the ball fell to ORROCK 25 yards out he hit a sweet low shot into the corner of the net with Mcleod seeing the ball late through a ruck of players. 

In 67 minutes Anderson had a good chance when a Mcleod goal kick was missed by the YM defence allowing Anderson to get in front of the full back, he then checked inside before sending a curling shot which was always missing the target but Reid dived and appeared to head home however the use of a hand was well spotted by the referee who correctly booked him. 

There was another let off for the home side when Orrock made ground down the left hand side and crossed for Gilfillan to head off the post. 

The game was swinging from end to end and in 73 minutes it was Roselea’s chance to take the lead and they did from a brilliant goal. Watson touched an Anderson throw onto CRUICKSHANK and the little winger looked like he would hit with his left before stepping onto his right and sent a great curling shot into the top corner with his weaker right foot.  

Roselea were now looking to finish the game and the front pairing thought they had combined to seal the win. A great back tracking tackle from Reid saw him dispossess Oneill before switching the ball to Watson who took a touch and flciked a great lob over Ness only to see the ball fall just wide. 

Collier replaced Silva in the 77th minute. 

The decisive fouth goal was eluding Roselea and in the 81st minute when Cruickshank crossed to the far post for Watson he was inches away with his header from close range perhaps concerned for the safety of the post as he slid towards it! 

Roselea finally clinched the three points with 3 minutes to go when a ball over the top saw REID skip clearing and rounded Ness before his left footed shot deceived the tracking full back who could not make contact and the ball rolled into the net. 

There was still time for Roselea’s final sub to come on with Ross replacing Reid to help run down the clock. 

There was one last chance for Kirkcaldy to close the gap when Mcleod saved a Greig shot and Forbes should have done better than put the rebound wide from close range. 

Full Time: Montrose Roselea 4 Kirkcaldy YM 2

After a sticky opening Roselea took control and few could argue that the home side deserved the points. At 2-2 however as in the case with most Premier League matches it could have swung either way and when the header hit the post perhaps that was the turning point. There were some great performances with the front two getting special mention however it was a true team performance that won the game.

The win takes Roselea to 12 points and with games over fellow bottom half sides Pumperston and Violet coming up this could be a turning point in the search for Premier League survival. 

This Saturday Roselea are once again at home to Pumperston who kindly offered to reverse the original fixture which was due to be played in the Lothians however with Roselea having their Sportsman’s Dinner in the evening they agreed to switch. Kick off for the match at Broomfield Park will be 1.45pm with the Dinner in the Evening starting at 6.30 for 7.00pm