Added agony but no shortage of spirit

Montrose manager Stewart Petrie had to endure some late heartbreak as he watched his side fight back from 2-0 down to 2-2 against Falkirk, only to lose to a stoppagetime strike.

Petrie said: “We didn’t deserve to lose that game but that is football.

“We have had two home games against full-time sides Raith Rovers and Falkirk in recent weeks and have come away with no points, which is hard to take.

“We need to defend better at setpieces as we lost goals from a freekick and a corner.”

The Montrose gaffer remained tightlipped about the disputed award of the free-kick which led to the opening goal, saying “sometimes you get them and sometimes you don’t. We needed to defend it better. We fought back from 2-0 down and our spirit is never in doubt.

“When we equalised the momentum was with us, but we gave the ball away in their half and they won the corner from which they won the game.

“I don’t think my keeper was impeded, we just didn’t defend well enough, we needed to be stronger. I don’t mind losing goals in open play, but we lost two from set-pieces and if you lose three goals to a team like Falkirk you make it difficult for yourself.

“Our effort was tremendous and some of our play was really good, but perhaps we needed to be cuter at 2-2 and take the point instead of going for the win.”

On 39 minutes, the referee decided Matty Allan had fouled Paul Dixon and Louis Longridge crossed for David McMillan to head home on the back post.

Seven minutes after the restart, McManus lost Andrew Steeves with a turn and shot home.

On 59 minutes McMillan had a header blocked on the line, then McManus lifted the ball over Lennox and it slipped wide of the post. With striker Ross Campbell on, Montrose switched to 4-4-2 and were rewarded on 68 minutes when Terry Masson netted.

The fightback was complete on 85 minutes. Blair Lyons was felled in the box and Webster scored from the spot.

But a minute into added time, Montrose failed to deal with a Ross MacLean corner and Aidan Connolly rammed home the winner.