The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Montrose manager still adopting ‘wait and see’ approach
Petrie focusing on finishing as high as possible with top spot in grasp tonight
Montrose have the chance to return to the top of the League Two table at Cowdenbeath this evening.
A draw or a win against the bottom side in the SPFL will put clear blue water between themselves and fellow titlechasers Peterhead.
And Petrie revealed that his players have already achieved the two goals he set at the start of the campaign.
He explained: “Our first objective was to get enough points to avoid finishing bottom – and we did that a few weeks ago.
“The second objective was to get into the top four and we have now done that too.
“Our focus is now on finishing as high in the top four as we can and seeing where we are at the end of the 36 games.
“I know that we will go to the top if we win this game but there are still four rounds of fixtures left and that is a lot of football in a league as competitive as this.”
Petrie added: “Cowdenbeath will make it tough for us at their place as they are still fighting to get off the bottom.
“Every game between now and the season will have something at stake and it is important that you can handle that.
“I am delighted to be going into it after a good win at the weekend. It was the perfect reaction to losing to Clyde the week before.
“Scoring early got us off on the right foot and it would be great to repeat that at Central Park.”
Iain Campbell, who has been missing for over two months with a groin injury, could return against one of his former clubs. Everyone else is available.
Meanwhile, Cowdenbeath manager Gary Bollan has not given up on the Blue Brazil getting off the bottom despite the fact that a defeat tonight would leave their hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads.
Berwick Rangers will ensure their safety if they defeat Stenhousemuir this evening and Cowdenbeath stumble, leaving only Edinburgh City in the Central Park club’s sights.
Bollan said: “You could look at things negatively, however we have to be positive as we are playing better now than at any time of the season.
“I am looking at how our season pans out differently as a win would move us closer to Edinburgh City with 12 points still available.
“We are still in with a chance and as long as we have a chance we will go for it.
“We were behind to Stenhousemuir on Saturday but we battled back to get a point so we are still in there fighting.”
Bollan added: “Where we finish in the table is not in our control but how we play is.
“Whatever happens this season we will need to perform in all our games so we will keep giving all that we can, starting against Montrose.
“Montrose have done really well but we went to their place and drew 1-1 in January.
“We more than deserved that point that day and we showed a bit of character to come from behind to get it.
“We have improved since then, both in terms of the strength of the squad and the way we are playing, so there is no reason why we should not be optimistic about getting a result.”
Bryan Gilfillan is a doubt, with Joe McGovern and Ryan Connelly still out.