From the Courier: Arbroath manager Alan Moore was above all happy to still be in the Scottish Cup as a hat-trick from striker Paul McManus saw the Lichties through after extra-time in a second-round replay at the expense of Angus neighbours Montrose.
Moore said: “I’m disappointed the tie went to extra-time as we should have had it dead and buried and not had to play an extra half-hour.
“In the first match we got drawn into kicking long balls, and they were dangerous from corners and free-kicks, but we handled that much better this week.
“Going into extra-time I had faith the boys would get goals. Our fitness levels were magnificent, and we could have scored six or seven.
“Todd Lumsden has drawn up a great fitness regime. The lads still get their runs on a Monday night and it paid off.
“I put Bobby Linn into the hole behind the strikers and he caused them problems. In extra-time we controlled the game completely.
“Paul McManus was magnificent, and Simon Murray is so willing to work alongside him up front.”
Montrose boss George Shields said: “We put so much into the game and we deserved something out of it. We played the better football and they hit us on the break.
“We lost an early goal then lost another early in extra-time. This is something that is happening too often.
“The games between ourselves and Arbroath have all been close. We now have to get back to league business and consolidate in the play-off positions.”
Arbroath took the lead on four minutes when McManus broke unchallenged on the right and shot home.
Montrose levelled in stoppage-time at the break when Paul Harkins burst through on a Scott Johnston pass and poked the ball past the keeper.
In the second half, home keeper Stuart McKenzie made fine saves from the Arbroath front three of Linn, McManus and Murray.
Paul Watson almost snatched victory for Montrose five minutes from time when his free-kick curled just wide.
Two minutes into extra-time McManus tucked home a Scott McBride cross then, 10 minutes later, Murray set him up to complete his hat-trick.
Just before the break in extra-time, a Graham Webster header came back off the Arbroath crossbar.
There was no way back for Montrose in the second period. They pushed Garry Wood up from centre-half to his normal position in attack and the skipper went close four minutes from time when his angled drive was tipped for a corner by David Crawford.