Stenhousemuir 0-2 Montrose

The Gable Endies can end their 21-season stay in the bottom rung of Scottish football if they take a point from their final clash against Elgin City next week.

It would be their first title in 33 years and only three years since they narrowly avoided going out of the SPFL altogether after winning a play-off against Brora Rangers.

For Stenhousemuir they know that they just need to win one of their last two remaining games to seal a place in the play-offs.

Montrose got off to a blistering start at Ochilview and were two up inside the first eight minutes.

Templeman broke the deadlock, collecting Andrew Steeves delivery on the chest before bringing the ball down and lifting the ball over Chris Smith in goal with an impressive chip for his 11th goal of the season.

It was exactly the start Stewart Petrie’s men were after, and it got even better for the travelling support – who had turned out in big numbers – as Montrose doubled their lead a few minutes later.

Lewis Milne capitalised on a mistake at the back from Ross Dunlop, he rounded the keeper and fired the ball into the empty net for his eighth goal in five games.

A shell-shocked Warriors looked to gain a foothold in the game but were unable to penetrate a stubborn visiting defence, marshalled by the experience of Sean Dillon and MIchael Bolochoweckyj.

Alan Cook had a few inviting deliveries into the box but no one was able to get on the end of them before his deflected effort from a free kick flashed wide of goal.

Montrose came to close extending their lead shortly after the break. Bolochoweckyj powered a header towards goal from Milne’s corner but the ball was cleared off the line by Dunlop.

At the other end, Andrew Dallas, on loan from Rangers, came close with a low drive, which was drilled narrowly wide.

Stenny boss Brown Ferguson elected to go more attacking when he took off Ross Meechan and put on Martin Scott while Petrie switched goalscorer Templeman for Martin Rennie.

The hosts actually enjoyed their best spell in the game towards the end with McMenamin coming close twice on separate occasions with the ball drifting just wide.