While torrential rain battered Angus this afternoon, the clouds had parted by evening as Montrose and Forfar lined up for an Angus derby in the KDM Evolution Trophy, better known in these parts as the Challenge Cup.
Inspried by UEFA's fuckery with its big european trophies, the SPFL have abandoned the standard knock-out formula we've come to know and treat with apathy, and have replaced it with a 30-strong league table format slamming the League 1 and League 2 clubs together with the Premier League B teams. The glamour ties with Championship heavyweights such as Partick Thistle and Morton will have to wait until the subsequent knock-out stage.
Sean Dillon returned to the starting eleven for Montrose, with Michael Tidser, Graham Webster and Andrew Steeves all joining him in an [looks for alternative to 'old'] experienced team.
Farfir lined up with title-winning ex-Montrose defender Matty Allan at centre back, title-winning ex-Montrose striker Martin Rennie on the bench, and non-title-winning* ex-Montrose midfielder Mark Whatley in midfield.
Farfir are of course managed by non-title-winning ex-Montrose manager Jim Weir, currently enjoying the quiet period before his busy time of the year frightening kids at Halloween just by looking at them.
Big Jim is currently in his second spell in charge of the bridie botherers, as he looks to become the first manager to be sacked twice by all four Angus clubs. He picked up a booking tonight for being a big fud who can't shut up.
Matty Allan may have won the league with Montrose eight seasons ago, but at only 29 he looks like he could still do a job for a Gable Endies team where the centre backs come down to a choice between 42-year-old Dillon, the erratic Quinn, and the excellent Kerr Waddell, whose knees are unfortunately made of papier-mâché.
Montrose had the better of the chances in the first half, forcing visiting goalkeeper Neil Stafford into a number of saves, but they couldn't apply the finishing touch. Jake Dolzanski looked to get away with one on the verge of half time, tripping Ewan Loudon as he was bearing down on goal, but referee Gary Hanvidge awarded a free kick inches outside the box.
The home side had the better chances in the opening 45 minutes, but the match was goalless at half time.
Tidser and Dillon (combined age 77) were replaced by Harry Craig and Evan Towler (combined age 38) at the break, but the injection of youthful vitality didn't produce much in the opening quarter hour, Forfar looking more lively after a double substitution of their own.
The slapstick defending continued from both sides for much of the second half, with quality finishing lacking, until substitute Matheus Machado raced onto Blair Lyons' deflected shot and slammed a low drive into the Forfar net.
And that's how it ended, Montrose continuing their perfect start to their Challenge Cup campaign.
Did we learn much from the match? Maybe that, as things stand, competing with the team sitting third in League 2 is more Montrose's current level than struggling against the likes of Inverness and Hamilton week in, week out.
Montrose lack a cutting edge, and a better team would probably have capitalised on the occasional flapping at the back from the pieced-together home defence tonight.
But hey, a win's a win, and those have been in short supply around these parts recently.
Man of the match: The tireless Lyons just edges it ahead of Harry Craig for me, but the latter is showing very promising signs of developing into a really useful option in the middle of the park.
*We're intentionally ignoring whatever Whatley did before he signed for Montrose.
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