| Albion Rovers 0 Queen's Park 2 ( Allan, Martin ) |
| If this match was indeed the final one in charge for messrs. Martin and Hunter, then it was some way to go. In a season dominated by exciting away matches and memorable cup-ties, this was another game to enter both lists. Queen's may not have performed particularly well in the first match of this Second Round tie, nor on Saturday against Gretna, but they made up for it on a gusty night in Coatbridge, in this old-fashioned venue, one which characterises the game as it once was, and a match which typified the cup-tie spirit reminiscent of days of old. Every player representing Queen's Park knew that it was going to be a tough night, and in fact, with Rovers missing a number of reasonable chances and being in control of large spells of the game, this was a somewhat different affair from Queen's recent comfortable away win over Albion Rovers. But with the whole team fully committed to the task, Quen's held on to their lead earned by James Allan, and when Willie Martin scored the killer second goal eight minutes from time, everyone connected with the Club could start celebrating and look forward to Third Round day- and they did just that. James Allan's return from suspension boosted optimism dampened by Saturday's weak display against Gretna, and to no-one's surprise John Gallagher was the man left out. Gordon Lappin for Richard Sinclair was the other change, as the now-regular defender had picked up a virus. The conditions were always going to make flowing football difficult; the Cliftonhill pitch had not been used for more than a fortnight, but more of a problem was the swirling wind, which Rovers chose to play with in the first-half. Not that this should be exaggerated: hardened Arbroathians would have laughed at this wind being moaned about. It was the home side who started better, and after 8 minutes a bit of a scramble inside the box ended with Moffat clearing for a corner kick. After this was half-cleared, then played back into the middle, Cormack headed wide. Queen's first counter-attack of the night- these would be what they would come to rely on- finished with John Gemmell turning and miskicking the ball when Martin's low ball had left him in a reasonable position. After 19 minutes came the vital opener for Queen's. A throw-in was Whelan was missed by Gemmell at the near-post, but the ball was only half-cleared to Allan just outside the semi-circle. Allan gathered possession neatly, took a couple of touches and then shot from 20 yards. The ball was not hit very powerfully, but took a little bounce off the surface before reaching Shearer, who should have done better than to palm the ball as it flew into the corner of the goal. With Albion Rovers left stunned by this goal, Queen's looked on top for the next 10 minutes or so. An Allan corner struck the top of the crossbar after 27 minutes, and Iain Diack found himself booked on 30 minutes after an altercation close to the half-way line; his foot had ended up on Ross Clark's stooped head. On 38 minutes, a brilliant through ball from Ferry put Gemmell in the clear, but Shearer raced from his goal to block as Gemmell tried to edge the ball past him. Rovers soon went up the other end, and a neat reverse pass on the left-wing led to a low shot which Mitchell spilled but gathered at the second attempt. ( Sorry about the absence of home players' names, but those numbers were bloody hard to decipher ). An incident a couple of minutes later led to the travelling support venting their fury, as Andy Paterson made a late tackle on James Allan on the left touchline, close to where those fans were situated. Paterson was booked for the indiscretion, and talking of indiscretion, Rovers assistant John McStay found it hard to remain aloof, angrily gesturing to some Queen's fans just after the half-time whistle, provoked by some ' gentle barracking'. Just before the referee blew, Willie Martin had a chance to cross from the right but delayed too long, allowing it to be blocked, and from the rebound Shearer smothered the ball. Paul Martin could be justifiably pleased with how the team were responding to his management, with a wholehearted performance; the team being intent on allowing Rovers little time or room in which to create anything. However, in the second half the home side, clearly fired up by an angry Peter Hetherston, got things together and started to pressurise Queen's at the back. Within a short space of time, Tony Mitchell was called into action, diving low to prevent Diack from latching on to a through pass. Queen's found some respite with a fine James Allan run, beating two men before crossing for Gemmell, but play was soon raging in and around Mitchell's area. The goalkeeper had to claw away a close-range Diack effort in 55 minutes; the first of several saves that would demonstrate Mitchell's talents as an instinctive shot-stopper. Eight minutes on, and a Silvestro piledriver from 25 yards flew wider than it at first seemed, before Diack again forced Mitchell into pushing the ball away for a corner. Within seconds, another chance arrived, and Mitchell had to look sharpish to catch Bradford's diving header, after the set-piece was flicked on at the near-post. An opportunity arrived on the counter-attack for Queen's on 66 minutes: Agostini's huge long pass sent Martin away, and Willie, who put in his usual power of work, latched onto it before firing in a shot from the edge of the box that Shearer held. Rovers had two more decent chances to score in quick succession: the ball was hit high from a few yards, before in the 70th minute Mercer stroked the ball low at goal for Mitchell to save comfortably: a waste as Rovers had had an extra man forward. Queen's broke up the park, and Willie Martin's lovely piece of footwork on the edge of the box outwitted the defence before his shot was tipped round the post by Shearer. From Allan's corner, Moffat's header was caught by the goalkeeper. Albion Rovers were now clearly desperate for an equaliser, and threw on forward McLean for defender Stirling in 72 minutes. Their increased number of attacking players was to leave them susceptible to any breakaway moves Queen's could conjure up. It could have paid off though, as shortly after Diack had another opportunity but could only find the side of the net from the left hand side of the area. At this stage an equaliser from the home side seemed only a matter of time, but as it turned out their chance had gone. Queen's then hit them with a classic sucker punch to wrap up the tie. Danny Ferry played an inch-perfect long ball down the left -wing for the ever willing Willie Martin. He took the ball on, homed in on goal, took advantage of a defender's slip, before slipping the ball under the onrushing Shearer from a few yards. Scenes of sheer delight ensued. The management team then took the not-unpopular decision of letting Fisher, then Menelaws join in the fun, with Allan and Gemmell earning deserved rests. The game was now over, although Danny Ferry would be mysteriously booked before the end. This was a tremendous team performance, with the players rolling their sleeves up, and basically kicking everything that came over the half-way line ( well not literally, thankfully ). With Kenny Brannigan now likely to take over, he has much to build on - not least this third round place. Queen's now must start to give such determined performances in every game - home and away. As for Paul Martin and David Hunter: their time in charge will be remembered for quite a while by supporters, short though it was, and this victory will have much to do with it. Match information |
| Joe Mullaney at Cliftonhill |