Queen of the South 5-0 Montrose (agg 6-2): Record breaker Stephen Dobbie turns around tie
- Published
Stephen Dobbie scored his sixth hat-trick of the season to boost Queens' survival bid
Stephen Dobbie's record-breaking goals helped Queen of the South overturn a first-leg deficit to beat Montrose and preserve hopes of second-tier survival.
Montrose led 2-1 following Tuesday's encounter but that advantage was quickly wiped out by Dobbie's first.
Lyndon Dykes put Queens ahead in the tie and Dobbie's 42nd goal of the season broke the club record for goals in a season.
Another followed for the striker after Michael Doyle's effort.
The Dumfries side will face Raith Rovers over two legs in the Scottish Championship play-off final. The first encounter will be at Stark's Park on Wednesday with the return at Palmerston next Saturday, with both matches broadcast live on BBC Alba.
Stewart Petrie's Montrose, who finished fourth in League One, are consigned to another season in the third tier.
Dobbie gamble pays off
The previous record of 41 Queens goals in a season by Jimmy Rutherford from 1931-32 had been matched by Nicky Clark in 2012-13 and Dobbie had been sitting on 40 since early April.
And 36-year-old Dobbie's inclusion was a gamble with the striker having been a pre-match doubt with a hamstring injury.
He opened the scoring after a great run from Livingston-bound Dykes, who charged forward and found his team-mate ready to tuck home.
But Montrose had their chances with Martin Rennie and Terry Masson testing goalkeeper Alan Martin.
Queens looked in the mood and at every opportunity raced forward. Dykes made it 2-0 with a lofted effort over Montrose keeper Allan Fleming.
Minutes later Dobbie was at it again. Great skill from the striker as he paced forward, moving the ball from left to right and finishing brilliantly.
Doyle joined the goalscoring party just after the half-hour mark, taking advantage of Montrose not clearing the danger. He pounced and Queens were running away with the second leg and the tie.
Half-time approached but Dobbie was not done yet. Dykes was involved again with an elevated ball and Dobbie beat off the defence for his hat-trick and goal number 43 for the campaign.
The talismanic forward was taken off early in the second period, manager Allan Johnston no doubt wrapping him in cotton wool for the final, and Dykes and Ian McGrath threatened to add to Queens' advantage before the end.
'He brings out the best in team-mates' - reaction
Queen of the South manager Allan Johnston: "Having Stephen Dobbie back gives everyone a massive lift and he brings out the best in the rest of the players round about him. It was a really good team performance.
"It's going to be tough. Raith Rovers will be well organised. It's a big club. We're going to have our work cut out. If we produce a performance like today, we'll not be far away."
Montrose manager Stewart Petrie: "The game plan was to keep it tight for the first 15-20 minutes. Obviously, that didn't materialise and they blew us away, it's as simple as that.
"It's disappointing but the lads have been great all season so we're not going to criticise them. We'll get rested up and look forward to another season."