MONTROSE goalkeeper Allan Fleming had an afternoon to forget after his howler allowed Falkirk to come back from a goal down to take all three points and go to the top of League One.
In another era Fleming would find himself in the middle of a "what happened next montage" after his second-half error of judgment when he went to throw the ball out to start his team's attack, only to aim it off the head of Falkirk striker Connor Sammon. His embarrassment was compounded as he watched the ball arch agonisingly away from him and into the back of the net.
It was Sammon's second of the afternoon - he had drawn the hosts level just after the half-hour mark to cancel out Josh Skelly's 18th-minute opener. In fairness, Falkirk edged the contest in terms of dominating the bulk of play and had it not been for Fleming and a decent fingertip save Ray McKinnon's side would have gone further in front.
Certainly, McKinnon was delighted with the win, regardless of how it came.
“We were only at about 80 per cent today but I thought we dominated,” he said. “That’s three games in a week and three results so we have to be happy with that. We are not going to win 6-0 every week. The wind was pretty hard too so overall I was pleased.
"The strikers are scoring which builds confidence and I am really pleased for Connor. It is not going to be an easy league so we will need to earn every point but we are top of the league and that is where we want to be."
Montrose manager Stewart Petrie lamented the error that led to Falkirk's victory but was reluctant to be too harsh on his keeper.
“He is a grown man and will know himself without me having to speak to him,” he said. “We gave a goal away when we were in total possession of the ball. He had it in his hands and then it was in the net. It is a sore one when you lose a goal like that but our commitment and effort was great and we have to take encouragement from that.”
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