Montrose enjoyed a remarkable first campaign in League One as they worked their way to fourth in the league. Stewart Petrie’s side were rarely easy on the eye, but with an experienced core of players and a huge squad from which to call, they made themselves phenomenally difficult to beat and performed to a standard greater than the sum of their parts.
Their first quarter of the season was mediocre as they struggled to adjust to the higher level, but as the campaign wore on the wins started to flow. Their final quarter was exceptional as they picked up five victories and a draw, with their defensive strength underpinning much of what they achieved.
Despite a squad the majority of whom were the wrong side of 30 – some significantly so – they were able to compete until the very end of the campaign. Remarkably, they finished the season with only two players in their ranks younger than 24.
They got excellent service from experienced defenders Sean Dillon and Ian Campbell, particularly, with the duo featuring in the heart of a defence that was either two- or three-man. Andrew Steeves was a strong performer down the left, both going forward and defensively. In the midfield, meanwhile, Patrick Cregg was a strong performer but is another well into his 30s, while the same can be said of Terry Masson and Paul Watson.
In attack, fortunes were mixed. Martin Rennie finished as top scorer, largely due to an inordinate number of penalties awarded, while others went through hot and cold spells. Russell McLean’s arrival in January should have been a good addition but the young forward suffered a nasty injury and missed much of the campaign. Ungainly but physical, he should be an important player next season.
Matching this campaign will be tough for an aging squad. How they renew will determine how competitive they are next term and will really be a mark of how good a manager Petrie is.
