Montrose Roselea

Roselea got back to League action with a local derby against Arbroath Vics at Ogilvy Park on Saturday. Vics started brightly forcing Paul Whyte to head behind his own goal for a corner and from the flag-kick, Kevin Durno appeared to be barged in the box, but the referee found nothing amiss and waved play on.

At the other end, Roselea almost opened the scoring in the fourth minute when Colin Kennedy chipped over a free-kick from the left-hand edge of the box and Robert Urquhart got on the end of it to divert it beyond Chris Cargill, but the ball rebounded back off the post and Craig Sturrock was able to clear. Vics were caught out again in the sixth minute and this time, Roselea took full advantage.  Colin Kennedy was again the provider sending over a corner, which found PAUL WHYTE and he found the back of the net from 10 yards.

Despite that, it took Vics only six minutes to get back on level terms.  A fine move involving Garry Warren and Paul Durno saw the ball slipped through for CRAIG ANDERSON to beat Ross McLeod with an angled drive, which went in off the far post. After a frantic start, the game settled down with both sides battling for midfield supremacy. Craig Watson had a half chance for Roselea, but his effort drifted over the bar, before Chris Cargill was forced to punch away a dangerous free-kick from Colin Kennedy, which threatened to drop under the bar. Vics replied with Garry Warren swinging over a corner from the right, but Sean Mustard got to the ball first to clear the danger.

Another in swinging corner from Garry Warren saw Ross McLeod punch the ball away from Kevin Durno and Matthew Gove, following up, headed the rebound wide of the target. David McLeish was next to have a go for Vics, but his shot from distance went past the post. With five minutes of the half left, Roselea regained the lead.  Ewan Graham swung over a free-kick from just inside the right-hand touchline and CRAIG WATSON outjumped the defence to send a header into the net. Kevin Durno then picked up a booking a couple of minutes before the half-time whistle following an exchange of words with the referee.

                                                            Half-time: Arbroath Vics 1   Montrose Roselea 2

The referee was busy in the opening period of the second half, taking the names of Callum Rae for a foul on Craig Sturrock and then James Collier for a nasty tackle on Kevin Durno, which also saw Paul Durno yellow carded for becoming involved. From the second free-kick, Gavin Norrie sent in a shot from distance, but it was straight into the midriff of Ross McLeod.

Ross McLeod had to be more alert four minutes later when David McLeish sent Paul Durno into the box, and although he was held up by the defence, the ball broke back into his path off Garry Warren and the keeper had to dive and turn it behind at the near post. At the other end, Robert Urquhart broke through Vics defence, but Chris Cargill was out quickly to the edge of his area to dive and save at his feet.

Vics responded with Garry Warren cutting in from the right to fire off a shot, but again it failed to trouble Ross McLeod as it flew wide of the post. Lee Hood picked up a yellow card for a foul on Craig Sturrock, who was replaced by Danny McKenzie a couple of minutes later. Play became bogged down in midfield with both teams canceling each other out, and consequently, there was little in the way of goalmouth action.

With 16 minutes left, Roselea made their first change of the afternoon when Matthew Millar came on for Robert Urquhart. From a Colin Kennedy corner, Paul Whyte had a chance to notch his second goal of the afternoon when Chris Cargill failed to reach the cross but he headed wide at the far post.

Craig Anderson was the next to find his way into the referee’s book when he impeded Jordan Reoch and from the free-kick, Roselea should have put the result beyond doubt.  Ewan Graham swung the ball into the box and when Paul Whyte hooked it across the face of goal, Chris Cargill spilled it at the feet of James Collier, but he dallied on the chance and it was eventually cleared.

In the 85th minute, Roselea made another change when Joe Aitken replaced Craig Watson. With 90 minutes played, Roselea began to wind down the clock making a further change, sending on Scott Riach for James Collier. In an extended period of injury time, Vics found themselves down to 10 men when Gavin Norrie picked up two cautions in the space of a couple of minutes and right at the death Matthew Gove was also yellow carded as Roselea held on for the points.

Teams:
Arbroath Vics:  1 Chris Cargill  2 Stuart Richardson  3 Craig Sturrock (sub 15 Danny McKenzie 65 mins)  4 Gavin Norrie  5 Kevin Durno  6 Steven Florence  7 David McLeish  8 Craig Anderson  9 Paul Durno  10 Matthew Gove  11 Garry Warren.  Unused subs: 12 Matty Johnston  16 Colin Lawson  Gk Steve Reid.

Montrose Roselea:  1 Ross McLeod  2 Sean Mustard  3 Paul Whyte  4 Callum Rae  5 Ewan Graham  6 Jordan Reoch  7 Lee Hood  8 Robert Urquhart (sub 15 Matthew Millar 74 mins)  9 Craig Watson (sub 18 Joe Aitken 85 mins)  10 James Collier (sub 16 Scott Riach 90 mins)  11 Colin Kennedy.  Unused subs:  12 Gavin Reid  14 David Craig  17 Ryan Strachan  19 James McKellar.

Referee: Mr. S. Leslie (Brechin).

Report Courtesy of Neil Hardie (Arbroath Vics Secretary)