| Date | Tuesday, 10 March 1998 |
|---|---|
| Competition | Scottish League Division 3 |
| Fixture/Score | Montrose 0:2 Ross County |
| Venue | Links Park |
| Attendance | 321 |
| Referee | Eric Martindale |
| Comments | Match Report Report by Mike Tremlett for the Press & Journal. Montrose 0 Ross County 2 Ross County kept their Third Division title hopes alive at Links Park last night with a win over struggling Montrose which will have boosted manager Neale Cooper's recovery from a viral infection. The County boss stayed behind in bed while County closed the gap between themselves and league leaders Alloa, but for 74 minutes they looked more likely to leave Links Park empty-handed. Cooper demanded that County started to grind out results to keep their title challenge on track and when it comes to grinds this match certainly came into that category. Relieved Ross No.2 Jim Kelly said: "We started quite clearly at the weekend that the rest of our games would be more about results than performances and we picked a side tonight strictly aimed at getting a result. It wasn't pretty but we worked hard." Top scorer Derek Adams and midfielder Steve Ferguson, clear of suspension, were back in County's starting line-up, while Montrose lacked the cutting edge of Gary Higgins. County made heavy weather of the opening 45 minutes. Montrose produced the only move worthy of mention before the interval--a Coulston cross from the right which was met by a flashing near-post header from Scott Taylor which Nicky Walker touched over his bar. County looked more urgent in the second half but it was the 74th minute before they broke the deadlock, skipper Kenny Gilbert exchanging a one-two with Gerry Farrell before setting up Roy McBain, who put the ball wide of diving Mark Murray's right hand from 14 yards. Three Minutes from time Gable Endies striker McGlashan, making his 150th appearance, almost grabbed an equaliser when his eight-yard shot bounced back off a defender with Walker struggling. But county clinched the points in the final minute through skipper Gilbert after Montrose keeper Murray let a Ferguson cross slip through his hands into the former Aberdeen player's path. |
| Ross County | |
| Manager | Neale Cooper |
| Starting 11 | 1: Joseph (Nicky) Walker, 2: Stuart Golabek, 3: William Furphy, 4: William (Billy) Herd 1, 5: David MacKay, 6: Steven Ferguson, 7: Gerard Farrell, 8: Roy McBain 1, 9: Kenneth Gilbert 1, 10: Connor Campbell, 11: Derek Adams |
| Bench | 0: Mark Haro, 0: Charles King, 0: Jamie MacPherson |
| Montrose | |
| Manager | Tommy Campbell |
| Starting 11 | Mark Murray, Rod Wylie, Darren Hutton, Jim Watt, Mark Craib, Craig Mailer, Benny Andrew, Dougie Coulston, Stefan Winiarski 1, Colin McGlashan, Scott Taylor |
| Bench | Jim Henry, Innes MacDonald, Thompson |