Season 2008/2009: Match 23: Montrose v Cowdenbeath

As I was taking my seat for today's Montrose match, I was trying to remember how long it had been since I'd seen the Gable Endies in the flesh, but couldn't remember.

My trip to England, which included the Norwich v Sheffield Wednesday and Nottingham Forest v Bristol City matches, meant that I hadn't been to Links Park since the win over Dumbarton on March 14.

Today offered Montrose the chance to dent another side's title hopes, top of the table Cowdenbeath hoping to stave off Dumbarton's recent surge towards the title.

The day started with Cowdenbeath a point ahead of Dumbarton at the top of the table, while Montrose knew that defeat would kill off their already slender hopes of making the promotion play-offs.

Things got off to a bad start, Cowdenbeath opening the scoring after 10 minutes, although scorer John Gemmell was so far offside when the ball was played that he was closer to Brechin than he was to any of the Montrose defenders. Nonetheless, the referee and linesman allowed the goal to stand, desite the remonstrations of the home players.

But from then on, Montrose looked the far superior side, forcing Cowdenbeath back into their own half and generally playing some good, attractive football.

It was the first time that I've been so impressed by one of Steven Tweed's Montrose sides, and now it may be that his influence is finally having some positive bearing on the team's results.

Cowdenbeath somehow managed to survive until half time, but it was more through luck than anything else, Montrose squeezing them throughout the half.

The same story was played out after the break, although it took 20 minutes for Montrose's domination to finally pay dividends, Tweed heading home from a Stephen Black corner.

Chris Hegarty (son of legendary Dundee United player Paul) secured the points from the spot six minutes later, sending David Hay the wrong way after Kevin Bradley had been tripped in the box.

Montrose could have added more to their tally, but Cowdenbeath forced them into some desperate defending late on. The home side did well to hang on though, and today's was a well-deserved victory over one of the division's better sides.

With Dumbarton thumping Forfar 4-0, the Blue Brazil (who played more like a Yellow Forfar today) slipped down to second spot in the league, two points behind the Sons, while Montrose closed the gap on Forfar and Annan, both of whom dropped points today.

It will still be a hefty challenge for Montrose to make the play-offs. But isn't being a football fan all about having blind optimism in the face of facts?

Season 2008/2009: Match 20: Montrose v Dumbarton

The world of football seemed to go insane today.

First, Manchester United, they of the unbeatable defence and record-breaking goalkeeper, conceded four goals at home while getting a right royal pumping from Liverpool.

Then, just hours later, Montrose recorded the first home win of Steven Tweed's managerial career.

The winning goal was a peach, a thumper of a volley from coach Jamie McKenzie (playing today as a trialist) flying past the goalkeeper.

Truth be told, Montrose could have had five or six, and again their inability to score more looks like it could haunt them in the future. The closest Dumbarton came to scoring was again a Steven Tweed error, the player-gaffer looking erratic at the back, although less so than in recent weeks.

Montrose didn't seem to miss Keith Gibson, their former captain, who moved to Arbroath at the start of the week, and Jamie Buchan looks an astute replacement wearing the skipper's armband.

A week's a long time in football.

(Oh, and this for The Tomahawk Kid and Big Rab - get it right up you!)

Season 2008/2009: Match 11: Montrose v Huntly

They say a week's a long time in football, and today seemed to prove the point.

After last week's inept performance against Dumbarton, Montrose today eased into the third round of the Scottish Cup with a win over high-scoring Highland League Huntly.

Since last week's match, Montrose have appointed former Dundee United and Celtic defender David Hannah as caretaker player-manager, sent last season's top goalscorer John Baird on loan to Second Division side (and local rivals) Brechin City and taken Calum Smith in the opposite direction.

If last week saw Montrose lacking focus, this week they coped admirably with a feisty Huntly side. Hannah selected himself at the heart of defence, and remained a vocal figure throughout.

But on the day, it was the weather that was the talking point. Montrose played against the gale-force wind in the first half, a wind so strong that one goal kick flew back over goalkeeper Greg Kelly's head and out for a corner. Huntly also tested their luck from long range on several occasions, with three shots from 40 or 50 yards coming close in the first half.

The first half was extended by almost five minutes due to the number of dead balls delayed while the kick takers attempted to get the ball to sit still long enough for them to take the kick.

Referee Mat Northcroft, who spent most of the game behaving in an over-pernickety fashion given the conditions, engaged in a "wind inspection" during the break, finally concluding that abandoning the match wasn't necessary.

And so Montrose, already ahead despite playing against the conditions, saw out the match with the wind at their backs. A 2-0 win over a side scoring for fun in the Highland League was a good result for Hannah's first match in charge of the Links Park size.

The two men who were arguably the biggest influence on Montrose's promotion push last season, manager Jim Weir and goalscorer John Baird, have gone, but the Hannah reign has at least started in a winning way. With the gaffer on the pitch, Montrose seemed more assured of themselves than in recent weeks, and new loanee Calum Smith, signed as part of the deal that took Baird to Glebe Park, looked lively throughout.

Yep, a week's a long time in football.

Season 2008/2009: Match 10: Montrose v Dumbarton

What's the best thing an unbeaten side pushing for promotion can do to ensure their season remains on course?

Whatever your answer to the question above, it's probably not "sack the manager who's taken them closer to success than anyone else in the past decade and who got them to the play-offs last season".

For reasons described in this week's match programme as "a non-footballing matter", Montrose parted company with Jim Weir a couple of weeks ago, leaving the side in the temporary care of Steve Adam.

The change in leadership apparently hasn't worked, as Montrose were dire yesterday, struggling to get a foothold in the match and generally failing to create anything of note. Despite that, when Dumbarton took the lead with 10 minutes of the first half remaining, it was against the run of play.

But by the time Paul McLeod ploughed straight through the middle of Montrose's defence to add a second, it seemed that the home side had given up. Stephen Black grabbed a consolation goal in injury time, but it was too little and too late.

Montrose are still sitting in a top four position, but if they play like they did yesterday, that won't remain the case for long.