The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Petrie rues lack of cutting edge as Gable Endies out of luck
Montrose’s 3-0 defeat at Elgin was a case of déjà vu for manager Stewart Petrie.
A week earlier Petrie watched his team compete well with leaders Stirling but lose goals at vital times and slip to a 3-1 defeat.
Similarly at Borough Briggs, the Gable Endies enjoyed spells of pressure but their luck was cursed with three efforts coming off the face of the Elgin woodwork.
In the end, goals by Aberdeen loan teenager Bruce Anderson, a Brian Cameron penalty and a late Jamie Reid strike on the break sealed a flattering home success.
Petrie said: “It’s a carbon copy of last week. There’s nothing in the game and we lose the first goal, concede another early in the second half. We are producing waves of attacks after that but we’re left chasing the game.
“It happened at Stirling and it’s happened again. We need to learn from it and learn quickly. It’s frustrating to think that you come here and have as much of the ball and get beat 3-0.”
Montrose went behind on 18 minutes when teenager Lewis Strapp jinked into the box and slipped a ball to Anderson, whose effort had too much power for a despairing Montrose attempted clearance on the line.
Craig Johnston curled past from 25 yards for the visitors while Sean Dillon saw his header from an Iain Campbell free-kick skid off the bar and go over.
A minute after the break, a Martyn Fotheringham corner on the left picked out Jamie Redman unmarked in the centre but his header was too close to home keeper Marc Waters.
Montrose were punished for their wasteful finishing when the home team broke upfield and won a penalty kick.
Dillon was guilty of upending City striker Chris McLeish on the turn and Cameron stepped up to beat Fleming from the spot on 50 minutes.
The away side then pressed for long spells but their luck was summed up by a triple miss in the closing 15 minutes.
Liam Callaghan thundered a deflected shot off the underside of the bar, Johnston saw a close range effort saved, and a looping effort from the left side by Andrew Steeves struck the far post.