Montrose started off with Peat in goal with a back three of Dobbins, McLeod & McGowne.  Wing backs being Cummings and a trialist.  In the middle was Donnachie, Davidson & Stein with Baird & Rogers up front.

It was Thistle that made the brighter of the starts. Montrose looked quite sluggish out the blocks.

Gibson again came close a minute later when Mark Peat was stretched to keep out his quickly taken free kick. The Montrose keeper was also alert to prevent Liam Buchanan from finding the net from the rebound.

Partick looked dangerous when going forward although never really tested Mark Peat in the Montrose goal.

At the other end Craig Hinchcliffe was largely inactive in the first half although in the 32nd minute Andy Rodgers briefly raised anxiety levels when he was able to get a glancing header to a Jay Stein free kick but the ball drifted harmlessly wide of goal.

The last chance of the half came the way of Mark Roberts but his angled shot went wide of goal. 


Thistle could and perhaps should have taken the lead inside two second half minutes. Mark Peat making a superb save by grabbing the ball from the feet of Mark Roberts after Roberts had been set up by Ryan McStay. 

Chances in the second half were hard to come by although it was the home side that came closest to scoring when on 62 minutes Hinchcliffe got down well to save from Andy Rodgers. A minute later the same player came close with a lob that just cleared the bar.

Rodgers and Montrose though were not to be denied and in 65 minutes they took the lead. Hinchcliffe was unable to cut out a free kick from the Montrose left and Rodgers found the net with a header.

Strachan forced Peat into a save as Thistle tried to respond to the loss of that goal but Montrose, disciplined and well organised throughout the game, were in no mood to relinquish their advantage. Indeed with 6 minutes of the game remaining they doubled their lead. Once again Rodgers was the scorer this time managing to squeeze the ball home from a tight angle, after neat work by Stein on the bye line to pick Rogers out.

From what was seen on the pitch Montrose were trying to play flowing football again.  All the new signings had a run out with McGowne strolling through 50 minutes or so.  Stein will add something Montrose haven't had in a while and that is pace down the wing.

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