Early goals key for Petrie as Gable Endies boss eyes title

MONTROSE 3 EDINBURGH CITY 0

League Two title-chasers Montrose bounced back from their defeat at Clyde a week before by cruising to a 3-0 home victory over Edinburgh City.

The win keeps Montrose level on points at the top with Peterhead, but with a game in hand.

Gable Endies manager Stewart Petrie said: “We started really well on the front foot, showing plenty of energy and the two early goals settled us down.

“In the second half we were comfortable without creating too much, then Martin Rennie scored with a super free-kick right at the end. Lewis Milne was superb breaking through the lines and that was how he got his first goal, then he took the penalty really well for our second.

“We are not paying too much attention to what Peterhead do. We must try to go out and win every game, it is as simple as that.

“We are in a great position and we have to go out and enjoy it.

“We are at Cowdenbeath on Tuesday in what is another big game.

“Cowdenbeath have picked up recently and it is a difficult place to go but we must simply look after ourselves and keep winning games as best we can. Every team in the division has something to play for and it is all very tight.”

Montrose opened the scoring on four minutes. A Rennie pass split the defence and Milne ran in to find the net.

On 11 minutes, Sean Dillon headed on a corner and Chris Templeman just failed to connect at the back post.

Montrose scored a second on 18 minutes. Cammy Ballantyne was brought down by Pat Scullion and Milne coolly scored from the spot.

On 23 minutes Milne flicked the ball goalwards and he was denied his hat-trick by a defender’s clearance.

City came more into the game in the second half and on 64 minutes, Craig Thomson headed just wide with Alan Fleming beaten.

Terry Masson was the victim of a number of fouls after he went on as a substitute and when he was chopped down just outside the box two minutes into added time, Rennie curled the free-kick into the net.