| Queen's Park |
| 2 |
| Alloa Athletic |
| 1 |
| Canning, Trouten |
| The fantastic three - nil win over Brechin on the opening day was a great welcome back to the second division. On the day, i don't think queens played all that well, average if you like. Its the results that matter. We controlled the game without any real difficulty in the second half, and Cairns was put to the test only a few times in the first fourty-five minutes. If getting results means scrapping the win, which we certainly didn't do on Saturday, then i am quite happy. We will come up against harder opposition than Brechin in the season and im sure the players and obviously Billy Stark knows this. Im sure we can handle the season in the long run, so lets get the results early and get some form. Talking of form, one word Stevie Canning. His new role as a foward certainly suits him, and he has been getting some goals in. Making space for himself and giving fellow team mates an easy but vital pass is excactly but we want. Two goals in two competitive games, winning a spot kick and simply troubleing the defence, he will be a real key player this campaign. After hearing the words ' its the same sixteen ', i felt this was good news. Goalkeeper Mark Cairns keeps his position despite a few minor mistakes and this leaves Zander on the bench for yet another game. Paul Paton, Damaino Agostini, Richard Sinclair and Mick Dunlop also played thier part in the victory, eventually Mick Dunlop was the man earning the man of the match after the phenomonil display. Kettlewell, Trouten and Paul Cairney controlled the middle of the park, but to be fairly honest , i dont know if its just me but Mark Ferry was a bit quite in the game but done enough to get his name on the starting eleven tonight. Stevie Canning i have already explained was amazing and Paul Ronald done his duties up front. Even tonights game had the same players on the subsitute bench and bringing on Stuart McGrady earlier gave us a little more knowledge of what the youngester can do, still early days. Referee tonight was a bit of a joke in the views of both sets of fans. His name..... John McKendrick. The man with the whistle hadn't long blew it when Richard Sinclair got the space to fire a ball, in attempt to trouble the keeper but his effort was just over the cross bar. Through-out the game the wasps threw themselves to the ground, either that or very unfit. Andy Ferguson's free kick was deflected for a corner kick, but Andy went down to the ground and called for a sub to be made. Replacing him was the soon to be goal scorer, Chris Mackie. Stevie Canning got his second goal in two games when Cairney's cross sent the ball close to the goalkeeper but the challenging Ronald got a touch and Canning dived straight in and gave queens the lead. After this goal went in we played more skilfull and had a little more possesion prior to the goal, and even though we may have been on the other side of play and the pressure was against us we did manage to make a goal from one good piece of play. Again Paul Cairney played a part in the second goal of the evening when he opted to give Canning the ball other than whipping it in himself again, the ball was crossed to the free Alan Trouten who neatly directed his header past Allan Greer added another goal to the Hampden score board which now reads Queen's Park 2 Alloa Athletic 0, and did so for the rest of the half. For a big part of the second fourty five, we looked to be under alot of pressure but the actually breakthrough for Alloa came a good while after the break, sixty-four minutes and they pulled one back. After Chris Mackie for a change didn't decide to through-him self to the ground in a bif for a free kick. Instead he stood his ground getting away from big dee before hitting the ball past the helpless Cairns, there wasn't much the keeper could do at this point to be fair. Since then Alloa never looked like scoring again despite the continue of the pressure and to be fair they were the better team but overall the better team won on the night, after the Referee McKendrick decided to keep the game going longer than it should have, not much longer but about a minute but it seemed ages. The CIS man of the match was awarded to Stevie Canning and was awarded a well deserved bottle of bubbly. If he plays the same on Saturday then the finishing shouldn't be too difficult but its getting the ball to him which may be. Again, confident about the whole season and confident we will get a result against Ayr United on our first away trip of the new campaign. Queen's Park: Mark Cairns, Paul Paton, Mick Dunlop, Richard Sinclair, Damiano Agostini, Alan Trouten, Stuart Kettlewell, (Tony Quinn) Paul Cairney, Paul Ronald (Stuart McGrady), Steven Canning, Mark Ferry. Subs Not used: Alex Cowie, Shaun Molloy, Richard Bowers Bookings: Mick Dunlop Referee: John McKendrick Attendance: 429 |