Gable Endies up a gear to see off Fife

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ssistant manager Ross Campbell praised Montrose for stepping up a gear in the second half at Bayview to close out a 2-0 win.

The Fifers arguably had the better of the opening half on their own patch, but crucially failed to get their noses in front.

They were punished by Montrose who were much improved after the break and wrapped up the win thanks to two late goals from Blair Lyons.

It was three points which reinforced the Angus club’s place in second in League One and Campbell, deputising for boss Stewart Petrie, was delighted.

He said: “We changed things about 30 minutes in. They were too strong for us so we changed our shape.

“We made that wee tweak but then had to get it into the boys at the break that we needed to raise our levels.

“To be fair to them, they did.

“I’m really pleased for them because they’re brilliant, a really good group of boys who enjoy what we do – and that comes through.

“But they’re paid to perform and managed to dig it out at a hard place to come.”

Both sides handed debuts to January recruits – the Fifers giving a start to former Dunfermline and Falkirk midfielder Ryan Blair with ex-farnborough forward Elijah Simpson starting for Mo (see right).

The hosts went into the game desperate for three points to start the year on a high and give them a platform as they aim to kick away from the bottom of the league.

Petrie’s Montrose are locked in a battle of their own and were equally as keen for the win to maintain their promotion push.

And the visitors started the game well, the Fifers having to defend deep to clear a couple of dangerous Liam Callaghan deliveries.

East Fife had chances of their own, and a terrific Kyle Connell turn and volley caught Andrew Steeves flush in the face and bounced out to safety.

East Fife had their best spell of the game towards the end of the first half.

Connell went close again as did midfielders Kieran Millar and Danny Denholm with a magnificent looping volley.

Within minutes of the second half starting, a Paul Watson drive whistled past Scott Gallacher’s post.

The visitors had signalled their intent and eventually grabbed the game’s opening goal on the hour mark, when Lyons was on hand a couple of yards from goal to finish off a neat move forward.

Within just a couple of minutes Montrose went two goals up with Lyons again doing the damage, this time turning in a Steeves delivery.

Montrose were on easy street and their job was made that little bit easier when Connell was shown a straight card on 78 minutes for foul language.

Fife boss Stevie Crawford says his side paid the penalty for not finding the net when on top in the first half.

“I was happy with the first half and the amount of chances we created,” he said. “Unfortunately, we’ve been on top, we haven’t scored that goal and we all know that when you don’t score you can end up getting your fingers burnt – and that certainly was the case in the second half.

“We have to take the positive that we’ve played the team second in the league today and created chances.

“We’re disappointed in the manner of the goals we lost, but there was a response for a spell before the incident with Kyle Connell getting sent off.”