The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Gable Endies edge thriller to seal clash with United
SCOTTISH CUP: Montrose survive fightback after racing into early 4-0 lead
Montrose almost squandered a four-goal lead in a thriller at Annan last night – but they held on to book a Scottish Cup showdown at home to Dundee United.
Stewart Petrie’s side raced to what appeared to be an unassailable lead at Galabank with four goals in the opening half hour before the League 2 side made the Gable Endies sweat by scoring three times in the closing 20 minutes.
Petrie said: “For half an hour in the first half we were excellent but Annan got their tails up in the second half.
“Credit to the guys for hanging on because it’s a massive result for the club to get United at home in the next round.”
Annan had the better of the early exchanges but it was the visitors who took the lead in 19 minutes when Martin Rennie tucked away his spot-kick after Chris Johnston was judged to have handled in the box.
Four minutes later veteran Martyn Fotheringham ran clean through on goal and kept his cool to lob Alex Mitchell as the home players screamed for offside.
Paul Watson then forced the ball over the line for the third in the 25th minute after a corner broke to him inside the sixyard box.
It seemed like Montrose were scoring every time they went up the pitch, and got a fourth on the half-hour when Andrew Steeves burst forward and charged down a clearance from keeper Mitchell before rolling the loose ball into the empty net from the edge of the box.
Annan pulled one back in the 63rd minute when Aidan Smith slotted home a penalty after the striker was judged to have been fouled by Iain Campbell.
Smith then headed home a second for the hosts in 81 minutes before Tommy Muir reduced the deficit to one when he blasted in with five minutes left after a goalmouth scramble.
Attendance: 205.
Annan: Mitchell, Hooper, Moxon,Sonkur, Creaney, Johnston (Fergusson 46), Wilson, Sinnamon, Wallace (Bradley 46), Smith, Roberts (Muir 46). Subs not used: Wright, Watson, Jamieson, Murphy.
Montrose: Fleming, Steeves, Iain Campbell, Dillon, Masson, Watson, Cregg (Callaghan 52), Fotheringham (Antoniazzi 68), Harrington, Rennie, Redman (Cavanagh 46). Subs not used: Johnston, Ross Campbell, Millar.
Referee: David Lowe.