News

MONTROSE 2-2 COVE RANGERS

The team showed remarkable resilience, scoring twice at the death to secure a most unlikely draw and break Montrose hearts. Two-nil up and apparently cruising to the win, the home side were looking to run the game down, but Ryan Harrington gave us hope, then substitute Quinn Coulson smashed home the equaliser.

We swarmed all over the hosts in stoppage time, and Mitch Megginson might have won the match with a powerful long-range volley, only to be denied by a fine save from Cammy Gill.

Blair Yule had become the latest player to be struck down by the virus which has hit the squad in recent weeks, so missed out, joining Will Gillingham on the sidelines.

Arron Darge had recovered enough to take a place on the bench with Declan Glass returning to the line-up in the only change from the midweek win at Kelty.

Connor Scully made his 90^th successive start.

Montrose kicked-off and forced an early corner, Quinn heading well over from Gardyne’s inswinging delivery, and the home side enjoyed the better of the early exchanges

We did have an opening in the fifth minute when Declan Glass gathered in midfield and played Findlay Marshall in down the right. The midfielder cut the ball back for Mitch Megginson, but his shot was charged down by Waddell.

The home side then countered, Lyons cutting in from the left before shooting just over from the edge of the area.

We very nearly snatched the opener from a rapid attack in the twelfth minute. Balint Demus caught a corner and swiftly threw the ball out to Mikey Doyle who passed forward for Megginson on halfway. A clever backheel from Mitch found Glass who rolled the ball into the path of Marshall, clear in behind, but Gill was quickly off his line to save Findlay’s attempted chip.

Adam Emslie then rolled a ball infield which Mitch Megginson dummied before spinning on to a pass from Fraser Fyvie, but his shot lacked power, and was straight at the goalkeeper.

There was a scare from the latest Gardyne corner in the twenty-eighth minute, Waddell finding a yard of space, but heading over from seven yards.

We looked to have broken the deadlock soon after, Ryan Harrington and Fyvie combining to set up Megginson in the box. Mitch finished clinically, but the celebrations were cut short when the assistant raised his flag for offside.

Dylan Lobban cut infield with three minutes remaining in the half, and was later involved again in the move, as the team probed for a way through. Harrington eventually raced into the area, but his cross was overhit, and the chance was gone.

Montrose created the first opportunity of the second half, Masson’s drive from a full thirty yards easily held by Demus. Fyvie then launched a counter, Harrington’s low delivery aimed for Megginson, but scrambled away by the home defence.

We forced a corner, but Gill gathered the ball, and from his long kick-out, Blair LYONS ran in behind Lobban to score with a low finish under Balint Demus.

Megginson and Fyvie linked-up as we chased a quick leveller, but Mitch’s low cross just failed to find Findlay Marshall. There was a scramble at the edge of the Montrose area in our next attack, during which Fraser Fyvie looked to be wiped out, but referee Kennedy waved play on.

Fyvie then flicked on for Mitch Megginson to run in behind, and the striker left fly with a powerful shot, Gill diving to his right to make an impressive one-handed stop. The keeper was called into action again from the resultant corner, saving low at his post from Fraser Fyvie’s angled strike.

Paul Hartley then threw on Arron Darge and Quinn Coulson for the last twenty-five minutes, replacing Glass and Marshall, but before they had a chance to make an impact, Montrose were awarded a penalty following a melee in our box. With Stirton ready to take the spot-kick, the assistant called the referee across, and the decision was overturned for offside.

Coulson then fought hard to win possession wide left, but could not find Fyvie with his cross, Gill clutching the ball on the six yard line.

Montrose went two ahead in the seventy-eighth minute when Demus attempted to clear, but his kick deflected off the onrushing Stirton, the ball looping high in the air. When it landed, it bounced off the striker, and Craig WIGHTON smashed it home from close range.

We almost got back into the game when after some good passing, Darge cut back for Megginson, but his shot was blocked in the area.

The lifeline came in the 88^th minute when Mitch Megginson threaded an inch-perfect pass through for Ryan HARRINGTON who beat the keeper with a composed finish from the edge of the box.

Incredibly, within seconds, we were level.

Grady McGrath ran at the home defence before spreading play wide to Emslie on the right, and when Adam crossed along the six yard line, Quinn COULSON was first to react, hammering the ball into the net to spark scenes of wild celebration among the travelling fans.

Mitch Megginson might have put us ahead in stoppage time, Gill diving to his right to push away the striker’s well-hit volley from eighteen yards.

It was an astonishing finish by the team and a superb comeback to snatch what might yet be a valuable point.

MONTROSE (4-2-3-1): Gill; Freeman, Quinn, Waddell (Dillon 87), Steeves; Gardyne, Masson (c) (Bertie 87), Sandilands, Wighton, Lyons (Webster 80); Stirton

Substitutes: Matthews, Watson, MacIver-Redwood, Brown, Machado, Martin

Goalscorers: Lyons (52), Wighton (78)

Booked: Lyons (20), Waddell (82)

COVE RANGERS (4-2-3-1): Demus; Lobban, Doyle, Parker, Harrington; Glass (Darge 65), Scully (McGrath 85); Marshall (Coulson 65), Fyvie (c), Emslie; Megginson

Substitutes: Suman, Murray, Gaffney

Goalscorers: Harrington (88), Coulson (90)

Booked: Marshall (25), Harrington (49), Megginson (77)

Referee: Joel Kennedy

Attendance: 735

Article Copyright © 2025. Permission to use quotations from this article online is only granted subject to appropriate source credit and to www.coverangersfc.com

Match Gallery | Montrose (A) »