Rival bosses Paul Hegarty and Dick Campbell were left with mixed emotions after Saturday’s derby draw, but both gaffers agreed that the 59th minute sending-off of Arbroath’s Ryan McCord was the turning point in the game.
Hegarty said: “We had two gilt-edged chances in the first half and if we had taken them we would have been two points better off. Graham Webster and Ryan Ferguson both slashed the ball wide when through.
“The turning point was the sending-off. They had to regroup and our first decent cross into the box got us a goal.
“At 1-0 down before their sending-off I would have taken a point as I couldn’t see us scoring.
“It is a point on the board but I am disappointed as we should have done better with the chances we created.”
Campbell said: “I didn’t think it was a sending-off and it changed the game as we stopped playing.
“Montrose worked their socks off, but they were unlucky to be 1-0 down at half-time.
“Late on I went 4-3-2 and gave our young kids a chance. Kane Hester missed a sitter, but that is why he is not playing every week as he is still a boy.
“I am delighted with the point, but unhappy with the performance and that will be shown in my team selection on Wednesday.
“We are undefeated after two games but we are not looking like scoring and that is a worry. We didn’t deserve any more than a point.”
Montrose made all the running in the opening period and should have been ahead on 28 minutes. Webster was put clear after a sweeping move but pulled his shot wide of the post.
Arbroath took the lead on 33 minutes. A blunder by Andrew Steeves let Bryan Prunty rob him and he set up McCord to score.
Montrose missed another chance on 38 minutes when it was the turn of Ferguson to shoot wide with only the keeper to beat.
On 50 minutes, McCord was booked for a late challenge on Kieran McWalter, then nine minutes later he pulled back Terry Masson to collect his second booking, leaving the visitors with 10 men.
Montrose pressed forward and forced a string of corners before finally scoring on 77 minutes. Masson played in a corner and Chris Templeman scored on the near post.
The 10 men almost won it, though, when substitute Hester blazed over after a scramble in the goalmouth.