( Martin )
With John Gallagher unavailable, Steven Fallon assumed the left back duties, and Colin Stewart was able to play after Kilmarnock gave permission. Gordon Lappin, somewhat surprisingly, was fielded on the right hand side of midfield, his second competitive start for the club. Chris Fisher was at last given a 1-11 jersey ( in today's game, no. 7 ) and was fielded nominally up front with Gemmell, although in practice he tended to drift all the way across the front line.
The cup tie atmosphere was never going to be replicated a la Brechin, and the smaller crowd of 457, not helped by the earlier kick-off, received little encouragement from the early exchanges. After a minute, John Gemmell had an effort easily held by Finlay, one of 3 on-loan Livingston players on Shire's books. Another of these, Brian Fairbairn, hit a shot high over the bar on 4 minutes, and indeed it would be quite some time before the visitors were able to manage an attempt notably better than this.
John Gemmell has been developed by Queen's as a target man, and although the ploy has still not been perfected, the danger is always there for the opposition when the big man gets his head to the ball. In 9 minutes, he was unable to make more than minimal contact after Fisher's cut back had allowed debutant Fallon to swing over a cross from the left. A minute later, Tony Quinn found himself with acres in the ES penalty area; with his back to goal, six yards out, he just couldn't bring it down quickly enough, and his hook was deflected wide for a flag kick. Queen's were starting to find space through the middle of a dishevelled defence, and Whelan was next to have a go, after a one-two with Gemmell. His final effort was nowhere near the target.
Queen's were in command of most of the possession throughout the first half, and East Stirling's efforts were restricted to the odd set piece. After 15 minutes, Fairbairn bulleted a header from a corner from the right. Two minutes later, another well known QP tactic, the Whelan throw-in, was combined with the John Gemmell target man plan as Gemmell back headered Johnny's throw into the path of the onrushing Allan, who nodded wide.
Johnny Whelan controlled the midfield for much of the game as Shire didn't seem to have anyone capable, like Davie Irons last week, to dictate things in there. On 29 minutes, after a very drab spell, Whelan ran through the middle and laid the ball to his right for Chris Fisher to run into the box and shoot over from a tight angle. Queen's began to up the tempo, and John Gemmell showed lovely control a few minutes later in bringing a high ball down with his chest 25 yards out and whacking a shot just wide of Finlay's left hand post.
After 37 minutes, McCormack, looking somewhat less animated on the touchline than is usual, replaced Lappin with Steven Canning. The former Gourock player had failed to get into the game, and had given a lacklustre performance. Winning a place back in the side will be hard to do, given the depth of Queen's squad. Within a couple of minutes sent a low shot wide, the deflection giving Finlay a nervous moment.
Queen's then had a series of half-chances before the half-time whistle. First Agostini shot powerfully for Finlay to dive and save after Fisher's cross from Allan's short corner had not been emphatically cleared. Then John Gemmell fired miles over after Johnny Whelan had again fed him. And a Steven Moffat free kick from the edge of the area, after Allan had been caught, bent just wide of the post. No goals from Queen's, but they had had all the chances, although none of them had been clearcut. Still, East Stirling had not managed to force Colin Stewart into a single save, and he was having another fairly comfortable game after returning to the club. Life at Hampden for a keeper, quiet? Not for long, probably...
Yet it continued to be quiet in this match for the Queen's back line. They started much as they had left off, by dictating the game. James Allan was particularly lively, and created a golden chance for John Gemmell three minutes after the break. He found space down the left, and crossed a great ball in. Gemmell was unmarked just 5 or 6 yards out, but failed to hit the target. This represented the best chance of the game so far. Two minutes later, Gemmell was again involved. The no. 9 is becoming pivotal in all Queen's best attacks, and brilliantly chested the ball down before playing it left to Fisher. Fisher moved into the area, and the ball broke off a defender before falling for Whelan to execute an opportunist scissors kick that flashed wide, but only just. It was now all Queen's, and Allan found Whelan, who found Fisher, who chased through before having his effort deflected for a corner. All this in the 52nd minute.
After 57 minutes, the visitors had their first attempt for a good while. McAuley shot wide from the edge of the box after being fed from the left. 3 minutes later, Fisher, who had contributed a fair amount to Queen's threat up front, was replaced by Willie Martin. Just before this, James Allan, causing real problems with his mazy running, had found Gemmell inside the area. Faced with the attentions of the away defence, Gemmell was unable to get a proper shot in, and the attack ended with Allan shooting weakly wide. Queen's were continuing to control the game, with the left flank seeming the likeliest source of a goal, but the thought of extra time was beginning to impinge itself on everybody's minds.
Colin Stewart was forced into his only real save so far after 64 minutes, parrying a fiercely struck McGhee free kick round the post. A fine save from a keeper who had been forced to keep concentrating after inactivity, and did so very well. Shortly afterwards, the impressive Allan had a well-hit shot tipped away for corner after linking up with Willie Martin.
The game now began to slip away from the grasp Queen's had seem to hold on it, with that winning goal looking less and less likely. Gemmell was replaced by Ross Jackson after 72 minutes, and seemed unhappy at being brought off, despite Cowboy's attempts to spell it out to him. Certainly, his withdrawal removed one of the main attacking weapons, even if it hadn't been Gemmell's most productive day. Martin found it hard to meld with Jackson, and both players tended to drift wide too often. East Stirling sensed they had a chance, and McAuley's low cross was just palmed away by Stewart. Then Allan was booked after 2 fouls in the space of a minute as frustration crept into Queen's play.
With extra time looming, Queen's took the game by the scruff of the neck in the final few minutes. Danny Ferry had a fine game in terms of defending, and pushed forward through the centre on 85, laid it to Allan down the left, and his cross shot dipped just over. Canning then turned and shot at Finlay, before Willie Martin had the chance to seal the game... and missed it. Allan did superbly down the left, cut inside and played Willie in. The sub checked past a defender but, one-on-one with the keeper, slid his shot wide of the left hand post.
This poor finishing looked set to compel us to sit through another half-hour, but in the final minute Martin made full amends. James Allan gathered the ball from a short corner on the right, and played his cross in for Canning to head off the bar. Another chance wasted, but no, as the ball broke for Willie Martin to fire Queen's into the second round. Completely deserved, and total relief evident in the stand, and on the pitch. Bring on the big guns!
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