Substitutions pay off

Dick Campbell’s Arbroath closed the gap on League Two leaders Forfar to nine points with a win at Montrose.

He said: “Stewart (Petrie) has got Montrose battling and they shaded it in the first half.

“I made a couple of substitutions at half-time and it changed the game for us.

“Ricky Little was sick at ten to three so we had to throw on big Matty Smyth from Dundee for his debut and he headed the first goal.”

Montrose opened the scoring on 26 minutes. A Ryan Ferguson cross was only half cleared by Colin Hamilton, and Matty Smith coolly side-footed into the corner.

Arbroath sent on Ryan McCord and Bryan Prunty at the break and, with the wind behind them, drew level on 55 minutes when Smyth headed home a McCord corner.

Five minutes later, another McCord corner was back-headed by Bobby Linn, clipping the bar.

Montrose hit back. Chris Templeman headed wide, then Graham Webster had a volley saved by Ricky Gomes.

Arbroath took the lead on 71 minutes when McCord curled a free-kick over the wall and into the bottom corner.

With 90 minutes played, Arbroath broke on the right and Kader squeezed home a shot.

Montrose boss Stewart Petrie said: “We were 1-0 up at half-time and it should have been more as we totally dominated the first half. We played some super stuff and didn’t want half-time to come.

“We are gutted to come away with nothing, but that is football.

“Lady Luck has shone on us in recent weeks, but that certainly was not the case today,” he said.

“We conceded early in the second half, then we were on top when we lost the second goal.”

“I made a couple of substitutions at half-time and it changed the game for us