Petrie content to claim point, but expects better

MONTROSE 1 STENHOUSEMUIR 1

Montrose boss Stewart Petrie took plenty of positives out of Saturday’s League 2 game as his side came from behind to draw.

Petrie said: “A draw was probably fair overall. In the first half we were on top, although we did not have a good enough final ball.

“Credit to my boys for coming back from 1-0 down. I am not disappointed with a draw, but I know we can play a lot better – and we will.

“If you had said to me last week that after two games we would be sitting on four points out of six, I would have been happy with that.

“They are a strong side, but we contained their strikers very well.”

Stenhousemuir were aggrieved two minutes into the second half when a close range flick from Harry Paton came off the underside of the crossbar but ruled not to have crossed the line, but Petrie was content to leave it to the officials.

“The linesman and referee said the ball was not over the line,” he added. The boy did well to hit it early and perhaps the officials could not see where the ball came down.

“They scored when they were on top but we went four up front and it worked for us with an equaliser.”

Montrose dictated the first half and Graham Webster lifted an early effort over the bar, then on 26 minutes, Chris Templeman headed just wide from a Liam Callaghan cross.

Montrose survived the Stenny claim for a goal before home keeper Allan Fleming did well to block from Mark McGuigan.

The home side settled again and Martyn Fotheringham fired a 30-yard free-kick narrowly wide.

Stenhousemuir scored on 71 minutes when Nathan Blockley crossed for McGuigan to head home.

Montrose pressed forward and equalised on 79 minutes. A crossfield ball from Kerr Hay released Webster and when his first effort was blocked by Chris Smith, he followed up to fire home the loose ball.

The closest to a winning goal came on 83 minutes when Jamie Redman headed narrowly wide from a corner.