| Montrose |
| Queen's Park |
| 0 |
| 2 |
| (Trouten 2) |
| Queen's kept their magnificent run going with a routine win over Montrose at Links Park in a match made largely forgettable by the extreme conditions. With the largely exposed Links Park prey to biting wind, the game was nearly as hard to watch as it must have been to play. It was all about getting to the ground and getting out as unscathed as possible, and Queen's left the place without a blemish, scoring an early goal and holding it comfortably until Alan Trouten converted a penalty with 17 minutes remaining. Montrose rarely threatened, and so David Crawford was able to achieve a new club record of 6 successive league shut-outs, beating Derek Atkins record set back in 1980. Billy Stark didn't change the side that had beaten Berwick, though Paul Ronald would start out in a slightly more advanced position. That was no surprise given Montrose's position and Queen's's superb form, and we were first to attack. A low Ferry drive was comfortably held by Bell, and then a short corner was missed by Ferry but then smashed over the bar by Canning. Queen's had the fierce wind on their backs, but were finding it hard to judge the weight of their passes. Hardly surprising, but they overcame the conditions to take the lead in the 14th minute. David Weatherston edged his way into the area from the left, and sent over a perfect cross for Alan Trouten to nod home. This early goal put Queen's in complete control but they didn't look like adding to the lead. Indeed the game settled into a lull for the next 20 minutes, before a belated Montrose response. Napier turned a shot past after collecting a rebound from Paton, and then Crawford had to get down quickly to hold Rodgers's header. That was all they could offer though, and Billy Stark would have had little to worry about at half-time. Ten minutes into the second half, Alan Trouten thread a fine pass through for Weatherston, who raced beyond the keeper but couldn't manage to get completely free of Bell's challenge. Montrose bumbled on but posed no threat, and, armed with a lead, Queen's knew they had only to play it safe in the swirling conditions, given Montrose's lack of pace and passing ability. A second goal might not have been necessary, but we got it anyway in the 73rd minute. Alan Trouten burst forward from midfield into the box, and was taken out by Bell as the keeper tried desperately to reach the ball. It was a needless challenge, as at least one defender was close to catching up, but Bell nearly redeemed himself, getting a hand to Trouten's uncertain kick but letting it slip on into the net. In truth, he probably should have saved it. That was that, and the game drew to a close with Billy Stark making just one change, throwing on Tony Quinn for Paul Ronald in the last minute. It hadn't been a particularly impressive Queen's performance, but we were always assured, particularly in defence where Agostini won everything. We never made the conditions an issue, scoring a well-worked goal early on and enjoying much of the possession thereafter. No, it wasn't the most thrilling way to secure a 6th successive win, but that statistic sums up how relentless Queen's are becoming in eking out wins. We've got a two week break now; two more weeks of dreaming about the championship before Stenhousemuir come to Hampden. Montrose: Cameron Bell, Daryn Kelly, Jered Stirling, Neil Stephen, Stuart Malcolm, Hugh Davidson, Stuart Cumming, Mark Docherty (Scott Michie 56), Andy Rodgers, John Baird, Paul Napier (Phil Reid 74). Substitutes not used: Paul Stewart, Calum Rae, Andy Reid. Booked: Davidson. Queen's Park: David Crawford, Paul Paton, Mick Dunlop, Steven Canning, Damiano Agostini, Alan Trouten, Stuart Kettlewell, Paul Cairney, Paul Ronald (Tony Quinn 90), David Weatherston, Mark Ferry. Substitutes not used: Robert Dunn, Frankie Carroll, Richard Sinclair, Mark Cairns. Booked: Dunlop. Goals: Trouten 14, penalty 73. Referee: Mike Tumilty. Attendance: 461. |