The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
No great pressure at top of table, says Montrose boss
Stewart Petrie says the real stress comes at the bottom of the league
Montrose boss Stewart Petrie believes his players can cope with being top of the league, and insists the real pressure comes at the other end of the table.
The Gable Endies are six points clear and nine games unbeaten in the league.
The Angus side face one of their title challengers this afternoon – Dave Mackay’s third-placed Stirling Albion – before another tough match at home to second-top Peterhead next Saturday.
Their hectic festive schedule then concludes with a match at Links Park three days later against Cowdenbeath.
The manager said: “It was another good 3-0 win for us last week against Elgin.
“We maybe got a wee rub of the green at their penalty. If that had gone in it might have given them a bit of momentum, but Allan Fleming pulled off a great save.
“He has done really well for us and he is probably in the best form of his life at the moment.”
He said of today’s opponents: “They beat us 3-1 in the first game at the start of the season and they are a dangerous side. They have been a bit up and down recently but I am sure Dave will be trying to put that right and they will be right up for the game.”
Petrie added: “We have three important matches in 10 days but I do not think they will be pivotal.
“Having the games in such a short space of time will stretch the squad but we do have options and everybody will play their part.
“Once the dust has settled, there will still be nearly half a season to go.
“However, we have put together a good unbeaten run and we are determined to keep it going.
“We are at the top of the league but I don’t think there is any great pressure on the lads – real pressure comes when you are fighting at the other end of the table just to stay in the SPFL as we were last season.
“We are 20 points better off than we were at this time last year so the lads should simply enjoy being in first place and see where it takes us.
“We have an experienced group of players and we will just take it one game at a time.”
One bonus of Montrose’s success has been an upturn in supporter numbers, and Petrie is expecting more big backing at Stirling. “It is great for the players to have that backing and it makes such a difference,” he said.