Montrose Roselea

MONTROSE ROSELEA V KENNOWAY STAR HEARTS

MCBOOKIE,COM EAST PREMIER LEAGUE

SAT 19^TH DEC 2015

Roselea faced opponents Kennoway Star Hearts for only the second time in history and were desperate for a home win to make any chances of Premier League survival possible. This was made more difficult with several players out through injury although that meant that a few players who had not featured lately got their chance to shine. With things so tight Roselea were appreciative to have local Merpro players Euan Duff and Chris Milne as Trialists alongside the Management team of Chris Simpson and Gary Munn who were also named on the bench

Roselea: Mcleod, Dalgarno, Sturrock, Whyte, Collier, Mowatt, Anderson, Smith, Campbell, Duff & C Watson. Subs: S Watson, Cruickshank, Simpson, Munn & Milne

After a very quiet opening the lively trialist Duff shoots just wide in 5 mins with keeper Paterson having to make sure of the ball going wide.

In 26 mins a good cross by Kennoway sees James Collier do well to stop Wilson getting a free header after he was favourite to win the ball.

It was 1-0 in  33 minutes to Kennoway. The ball was played down the left then squared and BAND nets at back post with several Roselea players in attendance.

Brodie Gray then goes close with a volley as the visitors looked the livelier team on the counter attack

Roselea won a free kick however free kick specialist Mowatt only managed to smack the ball against a tight Kennoway wall in 40 miniutes.

HT : Montrose Roselea 0 Kennoway Star Hearts 1

Liam Craig of Kennoway shoots over in 50 mins with a very good strike from the edge of the box which he should perhaps have done better with.

Roselea made a change when Chris Milne replaced Morgan Smith

There was a half chance for Roselea in 55 mins when a cross comes to Watson but fails to chest it down after he found himself in space at the far post.

Roselea were reduced to 10 men when Calum Watson was shown a red card for retaliation making the home sides chances even harder.

Somehow this seemed to spark Roselea into life after looking very flat for the first 70minutes.

Roselea made another change when Scott Watson was put on and he almost made an instant impact with a looping header in 75 minutes. They then put on Cruickshank for Campbell.

With the game looking well out of Roselea’s reach the game changed in 78 minutes. Craig Anderson shoots from 25 yards keeper parries out to MOWATT who follows up to score

Roselea were now on top and there was only going to be one winner from then on. Cruickshank sent in a free kick which Whyte flicked on and James COLLIER showed great awareness to score at the back post to send Roselea into raptures.

There was to be a final chance for the lively Scott Watson when he latched on to a Craig Anderson clearance but flicked the ball over the bar when the keeper had sold himself.

Full Time: Montrose Roselea 2 Kennoway Star Hearts 1

Even the most loyal of Roselea fans would not have seen this win coming with little impact from the players for the first 70 minutes. The substitutions made a massive difference though and the game totally changed after that. Roselea looked a different and more confident side and once the first goal went in there was only going to be one winner.

The win takes Roselea out of the bottom four and was a win that perhaps had not happened might have meant no return for the home side. Roselea would like to thank Merpro FC for the loan of two players for the game when their game was called off.

Roselea will now take the benefit of two weeks off due to the Christmas/ New Year break and with no fixtures announced they will have to wait and see when they start back in January