Montrose boss George Shields could be forgiven for thinking the numbers didn’t quite add up after his side picked up a battling point yet still slipped a place in the table.
The Links Park side went into this clash as underdogs against a Rovers outfit who are firmly in contention for the title.
Yet they gave as good as they got at one of the trickiest venues in the division and, with a bit of luck, might have carved out a morale-boosting win.
Shields said: “I suppose we have to be happy taking a point but I thought we deserved all three.”
The visitors had early appeals for a penalty waved away be referee Alan Newlands after Leighton McIntosh went down under keeper Neil Parry’s challenge.
The same two players were in action again when McIntosh let fly with a crisp shot but again the striker was denied as Parry dived to save.
Montrose survived a scare when the alert Scott Chaplain bundled the ball into their net but the effort was ruled offside.
Gable Endies keeper Stuart McKenzie was forced into a rare save when he parried Ross Davidson’s netbound effort as Rovers began to show more urgency.
But it was the visitors who ended on top and the points would have been theirs had Ross McCord been able to find a decisive finish from a good position.
“I thought we had the better chances,” added Shields, “but we will take our point and move on.”
While Montrose have slipped to eighth, results elsewhere mean they are just three points behind fourth placed Annan and one of six teams who appear to be chasing the fourth play-off place.
Albion Rovers manager Darren Young said: “We found Montrose difficult to break down, but we’ll take the clean sheet and point.”