Montrose are enjoying their best season in years and a five game unbeaten run with a sequence of win one, draw one and win one has lifted them into a Play-Off place for the first time since May, 2008 and it looks like 'Touching Wood' is bringing them luck for a second time.
The 'Wood' in question was last seen in the Angus basin town in 2008, but with two goals in their last four games, it looks like Garry Wood is helping to push the Gable Endies into a promotion push in the same manner he did when he was a loan player at the club.
Wood scored early on against Peterhead on Saturday and then set up Terry Masson for a second quick-fire goal as Montrose defeated the Blue Toon with the 24-year-old striker saying: “Things have started going really well after a difficult period in our first few games. We had an up and down pre-season as well but we are on a bit of a run at the moment and we will be looking to keep that going.”
That run began after a 6-1 defeat at the hands of Elgin City on an October day when most of the SFL card had been called off as it was an international weekend and Wood said: “That Elgin defeat was our last one and it was a sore one as we lost it heavily. It was an off day for everyone but it was our Boxing Day fixture that had been brought forward and a key thing for us in improving our results was to play them again a fortnight later and get a decent result.
“We were two down to them in the next meeting and had our goalkeeper Sandy Wood sent off but we came back to get a draw and I am pleased to say I played my part by getting our first goal. We took confidence from that and confidence is key to football teams. That perhaps, has been the major difference with us now.”
Wood explained: “You play well and you gain confidence. That confidence leads to better results which gives you even more confidence.”
Aberdeen born Wood has been in the north east for his entire career starting off at Inverness Caledonian Thistle before moving to Ross County with a loan spell at Peterhead thrown in and his journey to Links Park came about because of a broken ankle at County.
“I started last season at Ross County and broke my ankle on the first day of pre-season,” said Wood before adding, “And I just could not get fit after that. I went to Peterhead on loan to get me playing again but that never happened and I never played for them.
“The loan period ended and I went back to Ross County and ended my time with them shortly afterwards. I joined Montrose for a second time earlier this year when Ray Farningham brought me in and I got a couple of goals and more importantly, I got fitter.”
Farningham went to Dundee in the summer and assistant boss Stuart Garden stepped up and Wood knew him well already as he said: “I knew the current boss Stuart as he had been the Goalkeeping Coach when I was at Inverness Caledonian Thistle. Montrose had tried to get me earlier in the season but I had opted for Peterhead and it is funny how things turn out.”
Wood is a second time around Blue as he explained: “I was with Montrose on loan five years ago when Jim Weir was the Manager and we had a very good season then as well. I played up front with John Baird and we made the Play-Offs before losing to Stranraer.
“John has done really well since then and scored goals for Raith Rovers before getting a good move to the SPL with Dundee.”
The loan period as a Gable Endie had looked to have set Wood up for a spell in the top flight as he said: “I got half a season in the SPL under big Craig Brewster and I scored in the first team as well. I scored against Arbroath in a League Cup tie and I also scored against Celtic in a game we lost 2-1 at the Caley Stadium. I netted against Kilmarnock but I did not feature much after Craig left and Terry Butcher became boss in January, 2009.”
Having notched against the green half of the Glasgow Old Firm, Wood is keen to point out that he has also netted against the blue half, according to some reports, as he said: “When Montrose played at Ibrox earlier this season, we were one down but we equalised when a Ricky McIntosh free-kick was headed into the net. A few reports had me heading it in and a few had Anestis Argyriou scoring an own goal. All I would say is that I am striker and I have to claim anything I can!”
Wood was released by Inverness in the summer of 2009 following their relegation from the SPL and along with colleague Iain Vigurs, he joined their Highland First Division rivals Ross County.
It was to be a historic season for the Dingwall club as they reached the Final of the Scottish Cup with Wood saying: “That was a terrific time and I scored a few in the Scottish Cup run. I got a hat-trick in the 9-0 win over Stirling Albion in the Fifth Round and I also scored against Hibs in the Quarter Final replay at Victoria Park.”
“I came on when we were one nil down and a scored the equaliser. Big Scott Boyd scored the winner that took us through to the Semi-Final against Celtic and I was on the bench at Hampden for that game.”
The 2-0 win over Celtic took County through to the Cup Final against Dundee United and it was a bittersweet afternoon with Wood saying: “Coming off the bench in a Scottish Cup Final is a great thing to be able to say about your career but it was a bit of an anti-climax as we never got going and lost 3-0. The Celtic game was probably our Final.”
The following season, Wood featured in 30 games for County however, he only scored twice and his drive to get going again last season ended in the broken ankle and that injury started plotting the course to get him to Montrose for a second time.
Wood has no regrets saying: “Montrose are in their highest position for a number of years, probably since I was here last and lost to Stranraer in the Play-Offs so maybe I am a lucky charm for them. We have a great team spirit here and that is helping although Lee Wilkie tests us with endless running.”
Wilkie, the Links Park’s Assistant Manager, is working the players hard, with Wood saying: “He makes us run for half an hour in every training session. He does it without fail and I find it really boring. I tell him it’s boring and he just laughs at me and tells us to get on with it.”
However, there looks to be a method in Wilkie’s ways with Wood advising: “We were winning against Clyde at their place the other week and they scored a goal to get level. Last season, Montrose would have probably lost that game but the spirit we have now helps us come back and perhaps the stamina built from the runs that Lee puts us on helps as well.
“We are up to fourth now and I cannot see any reason why we cannot keep it up. No-one apart from Rangers has been stringing together a lot of wins so if we keep on our run, then we will do well. We don’t fear anyone and we shouldn’t fear anyone as there is Rangers and then nine really competitive teams in this division.”
Wood added: “Stirling Albion may sit at the bottom of the table but they are the only team that has beaten Rangers so that shows you that there is no easy games in this League. We have a really big game down at Berwick this weekend and that will be hard as they are sitting a place below us and have extra confidence after beating East Stirling last weekend.
“After that, we have East Stirling and then Rangers but are not thinking too far ahead. The Rangers game will be huge for the club and playing at a packed Links Park will be fantastic but if you start thinking about things two games before they happen, you will lose your focus. You could then lose your place and be out of the team when the game comes around.”
Playing Rangers is not something Wood anticipated when he became a part-time player for the first time and he said: “It has been an unexpected start to my first full season in the Third Division and being in the same division as Rangers was not something I envisaged in the summer but it has happened now."
Wood has adapted to life as a part-time player saying: “I am now working for an oil company in Aberdeen so that allows me to continue with my playing career. It has been a big change and away from my football, I worked a 62 hour week last week but it has been paying off as I am now a foreman. I have a bit more responsibility and it does allow me to tell people that I have scored against both halves of the Old Firm.
“I am fine with that as long as nobody looks too hard at the footage of the game at Ibrox!”
.png){kind=logo}
