The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Impressive win gives Red Lichties bragging rights
Promoted Montrose blown away and left to lick their wounds
MONTROSE 0 ARBROATH 4
Arbroath boss Dick Campbell was a delighted man after watching his side claim the derby bragging rights with a win at Montrose.
The Gable Endies unfurled last season’s League Two championship flag before kick-off, but were then blown away by their Angus neighbours.
Campbell said: “We have been showing some good form in the build-up to this game.
“We beat Dundee United and Ross County and we failed to qualify for the next round of the League Cup by one goal.
“We scored a good goal in the first half, then knew they would come back at us. The second goal killed the game and it was a Bobby Linn special for the third.
“We didn’t lose a goal, we won by four and we top the league. You can’t do much more than that.
“A few teams will come here and struggle and perhaps 4-0 flattered us.
“Bobby Linn has signed a two-year contract and at the end of that he will have been at the club seven years. He is a great boy to have around.
“I am in the market for a striker and defensive midfield player. I need a few more players as the biggest power a manager has is the power of selection.”
Arbroath dominated from the start and Ricky Little headed over from a corner, then Ryan Wallace was denied by Allan Fleming.
Arbroath took the lead on 23 minutes. A David Gold flick put Wallace away and he squeezed the ball past Fleming at the second attempt.
The visitors looked for more and Michael McKenna headed wide, then two minutes from the break, a lob from McKenna just cleared the crossbar.
Montrose had a decent spell at the start of the second half, but the game was effectively put beyond them on 68 minutes. Finn Graham was brought down by Sean Dillon and Linn scored from the spot.
Seven minutes from time, Linn broke on the left and smashed the ball high into the net.
In the third minute of added-time, Arbroath put the icing on the cake with a fourth goal. A misplaced header from Matty Allan gifted the ball straight to Kane Hester and he shot home.
Montrose boss Stewart Petrie said: “We have gone up a level and if we make mistakes like that we will lose. Whether it was a 4-0 game or not is debatable but we deserved nothing from it.
“This was a lesson that will have to be learned. We are up against better players and cuter players but it was a sore one to take losing a derby at home and my boys are hurting.
“The penalty killed the game as Arbroath are too good a side to let opponents back in from 2-0 down. I predicted they will be in the top three and that gave me no reason to change my mind.”