Saturday, January 14, 2012

Season 2011/2012: Match 14: Montrose 4 Clyde 0 (Irn-Bru Division Three)

Last week, Montrose played well against one of the division's better sides and came away with nothing.

Today they again had a fantastic match against lowly Clyde and recorded another impressive win over the Cumbernauld side.

Garry Wood has returned to Links Park after time away at Ross County and even in the Premier League with Caley Thistle. He was included on the bench today, Ray Farningham sticking with the team that did well the previous week.

The first half was a scrappy affair, Montrose playing well generally until the final third, where Clyde were defending in numbers. There was little of note to comment on, aside from Sandy Wood tearing Sean Crighton a new one for conceding a corner when it would have been as easy to pass the ball back to his goalkeeper.

But the second half was entirely different, Montrose racking up two goals in the opening nine minutes.

Both were created by Martin Boyle, the young striker in rampant form after the break. His raw pace left his marker for dead in the 52nd minute, and allowed him to keep the ball in and send a square ball across the box. David McGowan's shot took a deflection on its way past the goalkeeper.

Clyde were rattled, and Montrose took advantage with a near carbon copy of their opener just two minutes later. Boyle again burst down the right, and this time it was Scott Johnston who was on hand to send a low shot into the net.

Boyle himself had the ball in the net shortly after the hour mark, but his goal was disallowed for offside when he headed home at the back post from Dougie Cameron's cross.

Jamie Winter had gradually been finding his range as the match wore on, sending several long-range shots wide of goal. He had a 30-yard free kick tipped onto the post and out for a corner, but finally got the goal his performance merited with a sublime drive 15 minutes from time.

Stephen McNally completed the destruction a minute into stoppage time, his shot from the edge of the box deflected into the net.

Montrose were magnificent in the second half, controlling the tempo and severely restricting Clyde's opportunities.

The players seem comfortable with each other, and there seems to be an awareness of who is capable of what, who should be where and who should be doing what at all times.

I just wish we could play Clyde every week - they seem to have a torrid time every time they come to Links Park, not least last season's 8-1 destruction.

But whoever Montrose are playing now, they have the quality to cause them problems. If they can maintain their concentration and composure at all times, they deserve to be higher up the table.

Man of the Match: Another solid team performance in which no-one failed to perform. Terry Masson and Jamie Winter again dominated in midfield, and David McGowan and Scott Johnston provided much needed support to Martin Boyle. But it was Boyle who was the key man today, creating Montrose's quick-fire opening double and deserving of a goal himself that sadly never came. I fear his time at Montrose may not last much longer...

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