SHIRE 1 MONTROSE 0

A year to the day Shire had knocked five goals without reply past Montrose. Twelve months on, a single strike from Paul Weaver sufficed to dispatch the bottom side to another defeat.

It may not have been as pretty to watch as that game a year ago, but it brought the same reward; three points that keep Shire in the promotion hunt, five points behind leaders Livingston.

After a fifteen day break Shire returned to league action and coach Jim McInally decided against making any changes to the team that beat Stranraer 2-1 in their last outing.

That meant no place again for Paul Hay who, for the first time this season, failed to make even the substitutes bench. And the coach resisted the temptation to introduce new signing Ryan Harding straight away. He had to make do with a place on the bench.

The team lined-up 4-3-3 and that meant Jamie Stevenson, Andy Rodgers and Simon Lynch up front with Craig Donaldson taking up the right-back position he occupied against Stranraer.

Jim had watched Montrose ahead of the game and warned his players they were better than their league position indicated. The visitors included one player Shire players were all familiar with; Sean Anderson took his place up front with trialist Steven Nicholas.

Shire should have found themselves a goal to the good after just four minutes. A great ball from Jamie Stevenson found Rodgers unmarked at the back post. His clever turn created the space for a shot but his effort from the edge of the six yard box was brilliantly saved by Andy McNeill.

Montrose were certainly to the fore in the early stages and after 13 minutes a cross from Nicholas found Steven Tweed but his loping header never troubled Jamie Barclay who clutched the ball under the crossbar.

And the team at the bottom of the league certainly didn’t lack attacking threat. After 22 minutes Nicholas threaded a ball through to Hugh Davidson who shot for goal only to see his effort cleared off the line by a Shire head.

Shire were doing their best to turn up the pressure and after 29 minutes a great Rodgers run down the left ended with a decent cross which could find no takers in the middle.

A minute later Montrose’s Paul Watson was booked for a foul on Paul Weaver and Stevenson’s free-kick was hit low and hard and deflected just over the crossbar by an outstretched Montrose leg.

Not long after Donaldson’s cross from the right found Ure and his half-volley was saved by McNeill. That started a flurry of activity around the Montrose goal and there were shots for McNeill to save from Richardson and Lynch.

But Montrose hit back and Anderson was clean through on goal after the Shire defence missed a huge McNeill clearance. The former Shire man tried to lob Barclay from the edge of the box but his effort went just too high over the bar.

The home goal was under threat again just a minute later. Paul Watson flighted in a dangerous-looking free-kick which shaved Barclay’s crossbar. A minute before the break Anderson was sent clear of the Shire defence but Donaldson got back in time to make a covering challenge.

The second period got off to a slow start for both teams but Richardson decided to take matters into his own hands after 50 minutes, making a run from deep before unleashing a 20 yard shot which McNeill had to get down low to save.

But McNeill almost got his team in bother after 58 minutes. He raced to the corner flag to prevent a mis-placed  pass going behind but the ball landed at Rodgers feet 35 yards out but his lob towards the empty net was just too high.

However Shire were ahead just four minutes later. Some neat build-up play allowed Weaver to take aim from the 18 yard line and his powerful drive flew past McNeill into the keeper’s top- right hand corner.

That seemed to give Shire the freedom to play and Donaldson’s cross from the right after 66 minutes found the head of Rodgers but McNeill was there to make a decent save.

Montrose kept plugging away and once or twice their forward thrusts were on the verge of breaking through the home rearguard but Shire always seemed to cover the danger.

And Shire themselves were always looking to make the advantage more comfortable. After 87 minutes Weaver’s cross was met by a glancing header from McGuire but McNeill made a smart save.

And in injury time a McGuire pass released Tully. He was clean through on O’Neill but chose to shoot early from distance and missed the target.

SHIRE : Barclay, Tully, Richardson, Forrest, Bolochoweckyj, Weaver, Donaldson, Stevenson(McKenzie 86), Lynch(McGuire 61), Ure, Rodgers(Harding 82).

MONTROSE : McNeill, Milligan(Nicol 44), Campbell, Hegarty, Tweed, Crighton, Trialist, Davidson, Gemmell(Tomana 65), Watson, Anderson.

REFEREE : J. Beaton

ATTENDANCE : 342.