Montrose 1-3 Berwick Rangers
Thursday 3rd December 2009
Berwick Rangers bounced back from their Scottish Cup exit with an excellent victory at a storm-blasted Links Park on Tuesday night, a welcome three points taking the Gers back up to second place behind Livingston.
This was a game Rangers must have approached with some trepidation,Montrose lifted by registering their first victory of the season on Saturday over Second Division East Fife in the cup.The first time I ever went to Montrose was the day that Elvis died.It's unlikely that The King would have survived for long last night, the howling gale,torrential freezing rain and baltic temperatures turning the night into an endurance test for players and spectators alike. I'm not kidding,it was that bad even the brass monkeys stayed at home. What was remarkable is that no player was hospitalised with hypothermia,and both teams deserve huge credit for putting on a decent football match.
On the pitch,Jimmy Crease resisted the temptation to fiddle with the starting line up that took the field at Dingwall, while the home side featured a trialist No.7.The match got off to an untidy start, the ref awarding three free kicks in the opening 20 seconds, but in truth he managed the match sympathetically in light of the conditions.Montrose, buoyed by Saturday's victory, were first to show, Mark Peat making a 4th minute save to deflect Gemmell's header for a corner. Rangers presaged their 12th minute goal with a brilliant sequence of passing which belied the storm, Elliot Smith forcing the excellent McNeil into a frantic piece of backpeddling to tip his cross-shot over. From the resultant Ian Little corner, McLaren stooped bravely to head home, sustaining a head injury in the process. Rangers should have killed the game off before half time, missing a series of easy chances. In the 26th minute,Damon Gray trapped another corner a couple of yards out and turned to shoot home but Crichton blocked on the line, then a minute later Paul Currie burst through on to a slide-rule Callaghan pass and looked to score from 8 yards out, but McNeil saved brilliantly with his feet to prevent what looked like a certain goal. With half an hour gone, Gray was inches away from latching on to a Brazil pass, before Rangers got a 39th minute wake up call when Lawson got to the ball ahead of Peat after it had stuck on the soaked surface, but as his goalbound effort trickled towards the empty net Andy McLean materialised to clear the danger.
Rangers began the second half as if they'd just emerged from some kind of cryogenic experiment, which was understandable in the circumstances. Montrose, on the other hand, were bursting with life, and after forcing a barrage of early corners they equalised in the 50th minute, Watson heading home after Jamie Ewart was injured, Rangers failing to cover for their limping centre back. Rangers were rocking, and during the next 20 minutes the home side looked the likelier winners. Two minutes later,Anderson headed on to the top of Peat's bar as The Gable Endies put Rangers under the cosh. With the ball flying off the artificial surface, even overhit crosses posed a danger, and it was fortunate for Rangers that Peat was alert throughout.
By the midway point of the second half, the home revival had started to falter, and, spurred on by a captain's display from Stuart Callaghan, Rangers eased themselves back into the contest with killing effect. Damon Gray, who had been too easily dispossessed and seemed to be operating on a different wavelength to his hard-grafting strike partner, finally found Brazil with a cute pass in the 75th minute. From 12 yards, the big striker leathered the ball past McNeil who had no chance. The goal knocked the stuffing out of Montrose, and eight minutes from time Callaghan's cleverly flighted free kick found McLaren at the back post, allowing him to direct an unchallanged header high into the net. Game over, and McLaren should have had his hat-trick in the 86th minute when put through on the right of the six yard box,but he sliced his volley wide.
This was a very good result against a home outfit that never gave up despite their lowly position, and who gave Rangers some serious problems for twenty minutes in the second half when the game was still in the balance. Rangers did well to respond so quickly to Saturday's disappointment, and the win sets them up nicely for Elgin City's visit to Shielfield at the weekend.
Peat 8; Notman 7; Ewart 7; McLean 7; Smith 7; McLaren 7; Currie 6; Callaghan 8; Little 6; Gray 5; Brazil 8.
Crowd - 265
LINK : League Table
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