Edinburgh City 1 - 3 Montrose: Montrose put league woes aside as Tweed secures return to Easter Road

Steven Tweed's team had been considered ripe for a fall after a dire afternoon against Stranraer on Saturday, when they let slip a 4-2 lead in the last 15 minutes to lose 5-4. This provoked mirth among Jeff Stelling and his colleagues in Sky's Gillette Soccer Saturday studio, and Montrose – the only side in Britain without a league win to their name – again flirted with ridicule last night.

It was unrealistic to think they might enjoy a smooth evening in the capital, and this was certainly far from the case. It seemed at first as though they were using this outing as therapy for the weekend's trauma. The visitors began like a train, and came close on a series of occasions prior to Steven Nicholas' opener. But then the old insecurities and anxieties began to accumulate. Montrose remembered who they were. And, sadly for them, this means an outfit rooted by a margin of nine points to the bottom of the Third Division.

City, who had looked in danger of being swept away in the opening half an hour, began to draw belief from the knowledge Montrose are rarely so vulnerable than when they are ahead. Dougie Gair coolly slotted home the equaliser eight minutes before half-time.

The heavy conditions were very different to those Montrose are used to on their own artificial surface at Links Park, where they had endured such a torrid afternoon on their last outing. Had anyone asked Tweed how he would least like to have spent the Monday evening following such a deflating and not-to-say eye-catching loss, he might have come up with this scenario: fulfilling the role of supposed favourites in a Scottish Cup tie at the home of non-league opposition. Not only this, but Montrose were invited to begin the recovery from this setback in the murky light of Edinburgh's Commonwealth stadium, against a side rather keen to grasp the reward on offer for victory.

City greedily eyed a fifth-round clash with Hibs, whose own home lies a few tenement roofs away from Meadowbank. But Tweed and the Montrose goalkeeper, Andrew McNeil, had their own reasons for desiring the opportunity to return to this neighbourhood next month. They both supported and then played for Hibs. Tweed lived out the dream to the maximum, playing over 100 times for the club. But McNeil was released in unhappy circumstances by Mixu Paatelainen last season, having failed to convince the then manager.

Some believed they had reason to dispute Montrose's pre-game billing as favourites. In the league at least they can hardly remember what a win feels like, although brighter moments have arrived in the cup.

Both Banks O' Dee and East Fife have been dispatched in this competition, securing desperately-needed funds for the club. But City, currently eighth in the Central Taxis East of Scotland league, clung to their own hopes of a financial windfall at Easter Road.

It looked as though they had signalled their intent in the opening minute, when Ian McParland was booked for late challenge on Chris Hegarty. But this seemed to fire up Montrose as much as anything, and they spent the next 20 or so minutes laying siege to the home goal. Nicholas was the only one able to take advantage, however.

He latched on to a long clearance from McNeil which had been clipped into his path by John Gemmell's head. The striker's finish was a composed one.

"C'mon! What's wrong with them?" shouted one female City fan, articulating a thought that was seemingly a common one among the home fans.

They initially struggled to find a man with a pass. Montrose revelled in this opportunity to restore some confidence. But, having been able to claim only one goal from this period of dominance, it was always possible they might succumb to their now renowned flakiness. This they did on 37 minutes, when Danny Denholm played in Gair. He drew McNeil, before driving a low shot below the goalkeeper's body. It was evidence the tide had turned, and City sought to build on this foothold in the second-half.

But their dreams of a Scottish Cup outing at Easter Road were dashed on 66 minutes, when John Maitland headed home a Hugh Davidson cross. By the time sub Daryl Nicol slalomed through the home defence to score Montrose's third with seven minutes left, John Hughes, the Hibs manager, had already left, secure in the knowledge that the next step on the way to what he calls the "holy grail" will be against genuine cup specialists.

Edinburgh City: Montieth, Harrison, Ross, MacNamara, Bruce, McFarland, Caddow, Gair, MacFarland, Denholn (Guthrie 82), Stenhouse (Clee 61). Subs not used: Macintosh, Callandine, Bain. Booked: MacNamara, Harrison, Bruce.

Montrose: McNeil, Milligan, Tweed, Campbell, Fleming (Tomana 82), Crighton, Maitland (Nicol 75), Davidson, Hegarty, Gemmell (Leyden 90), Nicholas. Subs not used: Coutts, Sean Anderson. Booked: Fleming, Tweed, Hegarty.