Montrose away Final game 2025

[tm4tj]

And Relax!

 

We have all been on the emotional rollercoaster in a turbulent season that saw us go from potential promotion candidates to administration casualties, relegation favourites, possible liquidation fatalities before we pulled through with Scott Kellacher lifting the spirits sufficiently to enable us to retain our League1 status as Alan Salvage dug deep to stabilise our off-field activities and leave us all with fresh hope and a renewed vigour for next season. Aaaaand breathe! For the first time this season we can relax. Relax in the knowledge that Scot Gardiner is gone, Duncan Ferguson and his Duncball tactic is a fading memory, Bar94 is thriving thanks to the Supporters Trust, the ladies toilets are working again, the feelgood factor is back and Administration is on the verge of departure. 
Enjoy Montrose away, for the pressure is off and it's time to rejoice in our new found joy. The joy of having a football club to support and one that will rise again from the burning embers of near extinction. Mon the Caley Jags.

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Match/Ticket/Supporters Bus/Info
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Final quarter of the season: W L  D L  W L  D W ?  

Let's forget the rest of the season: Despite injuries, suspensions and administration taking it's toll on the squad we dug deep with a superb penultimate game win over the Smokies. The last phase shows we only had three wins, but all were emphatic and vital. A 4-1 win in the re-arranged game at home to Stenhousemuir and a brilliant 3-0 win at Cove plus last weeks superb performance against Arbroath. A disappointing home defeat to Annan was followed by another disappointing home draw against Alloa. It got worse the week after as QotS battered us 4-1 and following the win at Cove, Kelty dumped us 0-2 in the Highlands, that was another three points that went abegging. We almost pulled off a good result away to Stenhousemuir after the Kelty game but a 91st minute own goal left us with just a point after Billy Mckay had scored his first goal for three months, but what a strike it was, earlier in the second half. Them's the breaks, as disappointing as they are. With three minutes to go, we were sitting in 7th place in the table until Montrose equalised against Dumbarton and Stenny levelled with us. We did get up to eighth in the table last week though after a swashbuckling performance in a 3-0 win over Arbroath and that is the one that makes the final game against Montrose more relaxed with safety guaranteed. Billy Mckay with another stunning strike along with goals from Keith Bray and a Paul Allan penalty dribbling over the line. Waaahayyyyy!

Three games with Montrose this season. Both fixtures in the Highlands ended 1-1 and we pi$$ed off Gardyne the Gudgie with a comeback win in early December. Webster and Lyons had Montrose two up before we mounted a comeback. Longstaff scored after the hour before Montrose were reduced to ten men with Steeves sent off. The comeback was completed when Paul Allan scored twice in the 88th and 94th minute, direct from a corner. Limbs!

Latest Caley Jags News: Marcus Gill will fill the breach once again with Musa Dibaga still unavailable. A clean sheet for young Marcus last week and another this week would be nice to round off the season. Inverness look to be coming out of administration soon and 32year old Danny Devine is keen to stay on. Adam MacKinnon is our only player with a contract for next season at the moment although with the feelgood factor surging through the club he feels that many might consider it prudent to return next season.

 

Pos	Team	Pld	Gd	Pts
1	Arbroath	35	16	63
2	Cove	35	16	54
3	Queen o Sth	35	5	54
4	Alloa Ath	35	9	51
5	Stenny	35	2	50
6	Kelty	35	-7	41
7	Caley Jags	35	5	40
8	Montrose	35	-7	40
9	Annan Ath	35	-25	36
10	Dumbarton	35	-14	20

 

Last Six: W W L  L  D L  

Despite faltering over their last few games, Montrose have made the 'cut' and will play in League1 next season as well. A 3-1 home win over Annan was followed by an excellent 3-2 win at Ochilview. Two defeats at the start of April, at home to Arbroath (0-1) and at QotS away (2-1) before drawing 2-2 at Dumbarton with a 2-1 defeat at Alloa allowing us to jump above them in the table, albeit on goal difference. Owen Stirton, on loan from Dundee United, is their top scorer with nine goals in just thirteen games. That's a good return from the young striker. Blair Lyons has seven. Callum Sandilands is another hungry young forward. Good experience through the Gable Endies ranks as well. 

Gardyne the Gudgie is still at Montrose as is Matheus Machado.

 

Wiki said: The first Montrose Football Club was formed on 25 February 1871 after a meeting of local young men seeking to organise the practice of the 'national game of football' on the Links of Montrose. The variety of football played at the time did not resemble the modern game (nothings changed) and was more akin to rugby. Friendly matches amongst club members and townsfolk, Montrose Academical, Arbroath and Aberdeen University were played over the next few years before the club was dissolved. On 8 September 1877, a new football club was formed at a meeting at Montrose Academy.

During the new club's annual meeting on 13 October 1879 at the Town's Buildings, the committee unanimously resolved to change the rules of the club to those of General Association, with an association rules match amongst club members played later that week on 18 October 1879.

The club played their first external association rules match against Arbroath Wanderers on 8 November 1879. Given the fact that the Montrose side were unfamiliar with new rules of the game, the team unsurprisingly lost 4–0. They are the 18th oldest association football team in Scotland still in existence.

It's rumoured that they still don't know the rules 

 

[IcyT]

Looking forward to it!

This time last year it was a dreadful performance there in the play-offs - possibly the worst I’ve seen. Now we can enjoy it, and I hope the players do, too - it will be great to acknowledge all they’ve done this season against all odds. 

[Robert]

Thanks for all the previews and reports again this season: always informative and entertaining. 

[+CaleyHedgehog]

We are usually only good for home games support, but have decided to have an away day tomorrow to celebrate this crazy season with our fantastic team.

Party time. Can't wait. 

[IBM]

4 hours ago, CaleyHedgehog said:

We are usually only good for home games support, but have decided to have an away day tomorrow to celebrate this crazy season with our fantastic team.

Party time. Can't wait. 

Enjoy the game Hedgehog along with all our away supporters I hope you all have a great time and the team finish with another three points to end our very different season.  I will have my ear to the radio as us elders say  

[big cherly]

17 hours ago, tm4tj said:

the ladies toilets are working again,

Personal experience? 

bc

Edited May 3 by big cherly

[bishbashbosh]

Taking the advice from tm4tj and going to  "relax" today giving the dead rubber at montrose a miss.

In St andrews watching the granddaughters tennis tournament, then down to the old course to watch the " golfers" come up the 18th.  It's windy and chilly, the strong wind from the north.

Away support get wrapped up and enjoy the last game.

[Yngwie]

This could go one of two ways - confident team playing with gay abandon and players making their final appearance for us wanting to go out on a high note. Or end of season meaningless fare with the players thinking about what to pack for Magalluf and making sure they don’t risk injury.

[bishbashbosh]

1 hour ago, big cherly said:

Personal experience? 

bc

He blessed me with his presence last week at half time when he came over and we had an intelligent conversation on the 1st half v arbroath. 

Must admit I was wondering why he shaved off the beard.

Looks like you nailed it bc.

[bishbashbosh]

13 minutes ago, Yngwie said:

This could go one of two ways - confident team playing with gay abandon and players making their final appearance for us wanting to go out on a high note. Or end of season meaningless fare with the players thinking about what to pack for Magalluf and making sure they don’t risk injury.

Hope it's not scenario 2 for the travelling support. Worst one I have seen was aberdeen v hearts , long ago and nothing to play for.

The work organised a north of Scotland 5 a side tournament in Aberdeen. We, inverness, put in 1 team but aberdeen diluted their team of current highland league players and entered 5 teams. The prize was hospitality at Pittodrie. We won with ease.

We were met off the train, told we could have 1 pre match drink, cup of tea at HT and one drink after game, and then back to train.

After the first drink one of the boys went up to buy a round, to be told by the bar man that the hospitality was all day to 18.30. 

Well that started it.... I wasn't drinking as was the goalie.  So 6 guys remained in the bar while we 2 watched the game. One even ventured up to our box with 5 mins to go to ask what the score was. At the final whistle I went to bar to see our guys p1ssed as farts arm wrestling at the table. At 17.15 the shutters went down it was getting so rowdy.

We heard on the Monday that the guy who met us at the train station was up in front of the bosses as it was the biggest hospitality bar bill ever the company had to pay. 

Ps.... I scored 20 odd goals  and got player of the tournament trophy. Only saying.

The train on the way home was worse, after 1 of our guys karate chopped the ariel off the taxi he was in. Great days though.

[CELTIC1CALEY3]

3 hours ago, Yngwie said:

This could go one of two ways

Three. Govan kiss for Gardyne.

[tm4tj]

Our final squad for the season

Nolan starts

MacLeod starts

MacKinnon out

Strachan out

Longstaff on bench

[Yngwie]

Very entertaining game so far with loads of chances for both sides, mainly us, but Machado missed a sitter a couple of minutes before we scored. The strong wind will be behind us in the second half.

[IBM]

Goal Billy Mckay!

[Robert]

Billy McKay won’t want the season to end: that’s 3 in 3 as we go 2 up.

Gardyne hooked: I wonder what reception he got from the travelling fans…..

[+Moogthurso]

Cmon alloa

 

[Robert]

Well done Kell, Billy and all the players on a tremendous achievement.

Getting 7th given where we were and how we were playing at the time of administration is amazing.

Here’s to next season!

[Yngwie]

38 minutes ago, Robert said:

Gardyne hooked: I wonder what reception he got from the travelling fans…..

Have a guess and you’ll be right!

[tm4tj]

First draft of Montrose game report

And that's a wrap!

 

[Charles Bannerman]

I’m glad that Billy had the season’s final say in terms of goals. It’s been quite a tough one for him.

 

What a season!

[tm4tj]

Thank you for your outstanding support this season!

We finish 7th in William Hill League 1 with 43 points, despite our 15 point deduction.

What an effort from the players, staff and everyone at the club!

See you all next season#TogetherNess ️ pic.twitter.com/asN6p5BRyk

— Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (@ICTFC) May 3, 2025

[Yngwie]

Good performance, entertaining game and a well deserved win that probably should have been more comfortable than it was. Terrific away support, about 400 of us, very much in party mood and giving great support to the team.

Only downside was that Montrose only opened 1 turnstile at the away end (compared to 3 quiet turnstiles at the home end) and they didn’t do anything to rectify it so we were all queuing 15 minutes to get in and I presume some of our fans would have missed the first few minutes at least.

Edited May 3 by Yngwie

[STFU]

That was the season that was.

No words to describe how proud I am of the team and (post DF) management/coaching.

Wouldn't wish what they've had to go through on any team (well maybe 2) but they will have learned a lot about themselves and what can be achieved by pulling together as a team.

Avoiding the play offs means they will all now get a thoroughly deserved full summer break.

Hope to see many of them pulling on the Caley Thistle shirt again next season.

[Yngwie]

Noticed that Montrose had a young midfielder with the wonderful first name Lancelot. He showed a bit of talent for a 17yo, but couldn’t prevent his team from being put to the sword. 
(Sorry!)

[tm4tj]