Peterhead aim to build on last Saturday’s fine win at Clyde by seeing off Montrose with Balmoor manager Jim McInally looking for a strong defensive performance at Links Park for the first time in four games.
Jim said: “I really respect Montrose as a team and as a club. The job Stewart Petrie has done there over the past few years demands that respect. For us to do anything in this game we have to do something that we have not done in our last few games there and that is keep a clean sheet.”
“The games last season were both exciting seven goal affairs, however I would rather that we win 1-0 as opposed to lose 4-3. The season before we won the first meeting 6-2 and then lost 3-2 so it has been a while since we kept Montrose out on their own patch.”
Jim added: “We will look to get the balance right between stopping Montrose and creating chances ourselves. We got the balance right last weekend at Clyde, where we played well despite the atrocious conditions. The pitch at Clyde is a good one and that helped us pass the ball and the pitch at Links Park is good as well we can look to play in a similar manner.”
“Montrose had a good result last weekend so they will be on a high as well so it will be a tough afternoon.”
Montrose manager Stewart Petrie said: “Peterhead will come here on a high as well as they had an excellent win at Clyde. I have watched that game and they deserved their success. They played a really strong pressing game that never gave Clyde a chance to settle and they kept a really good striker in David Goodwillie quiet. Alan Cook playing up front was a surprise however he did well and Scott Brown is always a threat in their midfield.”
“We are well warned over how difficult this game will be. There are no easy games in this league and the first thing we will have to do is match the work that Peterhead put in and the second thing we have to do is ensure that we have learnt from the Forfar game.”
Team news
The Blue Toon had mixed news from the treatment room with Simon Ferry and Ben Armour available for duty only for Steven Boyd to join Gary Mackenzie, Josh Mulligan and Isaac Layne in missing out. Hasim Bakar is set to be included as a trialist for a third and final time.
Montrose’s Kerr Waddell will return to action earing a protective mask on following a broken nose in the game against East Fife a fortnight ago. Cammy Ballantyne and Terry Masson are back in training for the Gable Endies however Sean Dillon and Matty Allan remaining out.
