Montrose maintain play-off ambitions

Montrose remain on course to reach the promotion playoffs despite this stalemate. Both sides appeared to be suffering from a major hangover after their Scottish Cup exertions at the weekend with genuine chances a rarity throughout a dour encounter.

Indeed, the only effort on target in the opening half came early on as Lewis Milne looked to give Montrose the advantage.

A clearance from the visitors’ box made its way to Milne who looked to cut inside and drive across the box. The striker suddenly found himself with space to shoot but Sons keeper Sam Ramsbottom was able to tip the effort wide.

Thomas Brindley looked to be the home side’s danger man, consistently driving down the left and using his pace to trouble Cammy Ballantyne.

Brindley caused Montrose’s only moment of concern of a lacklustre first half when he surged into the box only to find defender Sean Dillon sliding in to challenge.

Dillon was left breathing a sigh of relief as the ball bounced off the back of his leg and crept inches wide for a corner when the ball might have easily ended in the back of the net.

A final half-chance of the opening period ended in disappointment for the Gable Endies when Liam Callaghan floated an inviting free-kick towards a dangerous area at the back post. However, it bypassed everyone and went out for a goal-kick.

Montrose keeper Aaron Lennox was called into action for the first time on the restart when he comfortably held Nat Wedderburn’s header.

At the other end Callaghan sent a shot high and wide before Graham Webster’s netbound volley forced a fine diving save from Ramsbottom as the game briefly livened up.

Visiting boss Stewart Petrie made three changes midway through the second period in a bid to inject more life into his troops who were struggling to put together a period concerted pressure.

Instead, they remained restricted to half-chances as when Martin Rennie forced another diving save from Ramsbottom with a snapshot which the keeper managed to turn behind for a corner before Webster fired over the bar from the resulting flag-kick.

Sons showed they still had eyes on all three points when Rob Jones sent a 14-yard shot narrowly wide on 78 minutes.

Jones went close again with a diving header as Montrose appeared to wilt in the dying minutes.

But the visitors had one last effort when Chris Antoniazzi let fly from just inside the box only for Ramsbottom to again stand in the way. of

STILL IN IT: Stewart Petrie’s men are on course to reach the promotion play-offs after the stalemate at Dumbarton. Defender Sean Dillon, right, breathed a sigh of relief after almost scoring an own goal against the Sons.