queens_cowdenbeath_25_10

Queen's Park

Cowdenbeath

( Jackson, Paatelainen )

A Cowdenbeath team on top form swept Queen's aside at Hampden last night and called into serious question both the home club's play-off chances and the managerial capabilities of Billy Stark. A number of puzzling decisions suggested that the manager is confused over exactly how he should set out his side, especially in the absence of their best player Paul Harvey. Certainly he got it right in choosing to play Kevin Proctor alongside David Weatherston in attack, and Proctor's good control and clever flicks and passes made him one of Queen's better performers on a bad night. But his decision to bring Proctor off with 15 minutes to go, when Queen's were looking for an equaliser, and replace him with Shaun Molloy (obviously not a striker), left a number of fans shaking their heads. Opting to play Andy McGinty ahead of Richard Sinclair didn't pay dividends either, with the youngster looking panicky. And to cap it all, he once again threw Jonny Whelan on, a player who has looked little better than useless since being converted into a makeshift striker. By this stage the game was over anyway. Cowden looked a clearly better team than both Queen's and Stenhousemuir, whom they still trail in the league, but Queen's gifted them a first goal and conceded the second after a brief spell of pressure at the other end. It was directionless, and while with Paul Harvey back matters will undoubtedly improve, we'll need to start thinking about how we'll survive without him once he's gone for good.
    Billy Stark's one change from the defeat at Ochilview was to partner David Weatherston with Kevin Proctor, Shaun Molloy dropping to the bench. The line-up reverted to a 4-4-2 formation for a game Queen's could ill-afford to lose.
    This being a midweek game, the crowd was a little lower than normal but the away support came through in decent numbers. Cowden's form has improved vastly under Mixu Paatelainen's stewardship and their belief was obvious, but Queen's didn't start too badly. Kettlewell dipped a volley over the bar from the edge of the box after 2 minutes, then the same player was tackled as he broke into the area. In the 6th minute, a Ferry shot on the turn through a forest of legs squeezed narrowly wide.
    However our defensive frailties were soon obvious. Throughout the game we would look weak in central midfield, allowing Cowden to come charging at us through the middle. The first example arrived just after Ferry's effort, when Jackson managed to outwit the defence, evading a couple of indecisive tackles before thumping his shot high. Crawford was several yards of his line and may not have coped with a more accurate attempt.
    After 14 minutes Proctor flicked the ball wide following a free-kick, a neat move seeing Trouten feed Weatherston running down the right before crossing. Proctor would link up well with his team-mates during the first period, but the defending let us down on 18 minutes as Cowdenbeath opened the scoring. A cross from the right was headed on for Jackson who nodded home with a simple header; for some reason Crawford neglected to move, seemingly thinking the ball was going wide.
    It wasn't long before Queen's got forward again, and Proctor blazed a drive over from Weatherston's cutback six yards out. It was the last real chance Queen's would carve out inside the opposition box,
    Eight minutes later Weatherston roared down the right-hand side again, his good cutback being met by Mark Ferry whose rising shot flew went just too high. Not for the last time, 9 minutes on, Queen's would be indebted to David Crawford for keeping them in it. He made up for his hesitancy at the goal by blocking McCallum's drive with his legs.
    Another fine drive by Ferry was held on the half-volley by Hay five minutes before half-time, and Queen's continued to threaten mainly from outside of the box. Just before the break, an intricate move from a free-kick 25 yards out saw the ball being slipped left to Mick Dunlop, who shot powerfully at goal and saw it touched over by Hay.
    Queen's had not been awful during the first half, but like Stenhousemuir on Saturday there were few signs of creativity; almost no chances had been made inside the area. We looked lacking in midfield with Trouten not seeming suited to a central role and Quinn toiling. Matters would deteriorate during the second half. But again we started OK and Proctor was involved quickly, finding Trouten with a lay-off after another a good first touch for a shot that Hay held. But before we could get a hold on the game Cowden surged forward, and would put have the game beyond Queen's had it not been for David Crawford. First he made a superb block from Jackson after the scorer had walked through our defence with unbelievable ease, including one defender inside the 6-yard box. Then he saved Downs's effort, before back-pedalling to claw Millar's 35-yard lob over the top. On this form we won't keep Crawford beyond January.
    Cowden were now firmly in charge, and McCallum rose to bullet a header at goal, forcing another outstanding stop from Crawford, but the whistle had blown for a foul by McCallum.
    In the 64th minute the hobbling Clark was replaced by Weir, disrupting Queen's right wing as Clark had been one of our more eager players. By this point we were fading from the picture, and Cowden again could have scored in the 72nd minute. A suicidal pass from Trouten on the corner of his own area ran straight to a Cowden player; the ball was threaded through for McCallum, who had only Crawford to beat, but Reilly saved the day with a strong slide tackle.
    Billy Stark then decided to take off Proctor, and within a minute of him doing so David Weatherston made his way down the right and crossed over, but with no strike partner the chance was wasted. Of course such an illustration is very neat and tidy for us match reporters but it highlighted Stark's error better than anything could have done.
    The dangerous Jackson once again got the better of the Queen's defence in the 77th minute and brought out a fine parry from Crawford. The match looked close to lost - in fact it should already have been out of our reach. But Queen's did manage a brief flurry with around 10 minutes left, forcing a corner, getting the home fans on their feet, before Ferry fired a shot inches over the bar.
    It was to prove an irrelevance. With 9 minutes left the visitors made the game safe, Paatelainen powering Jackson's cross into the net from a few yards. The Finn, brother of the manager, was one of Cowden's best players and so he should be given that he played for Aberdeen last season. He'll move on to better things, as will Jackson.
    Highly frustrated, Steven Reilly picked up a booking for one of his trademark crunching tackles before Jonny Whelan was given an introduction. He failed to win a header in the admittedly short time he was on and there can be no question of his inferiority in every attacking department to Kevin Proctor. Billy Stark has bought into the Jonny Whelan mythology for too long now - Jonny is a club legend and was a great midfielder but his reputation can only be damaged by being played semi-retired and out of position.
    It was almost three right at the end, Paatelainen's header coming off the outside of the post. Immediately after the whistle went, and Queen's hopes of catching the top three probably went with it. This was a sobering example of the problems within the team and just how far we have to go. It's quite possible that some changes will be made - God knows we need Paul Harvey back, but Tony Quinn may not continue right now and McGinty is likely to drop out for Saturday. Perhaps young Liam McCann will get his chance in midfield - Quinn needs the competition at least. Proctor and Weatherston have the makings of a decent partnership, but they require better support. A return to the wing for Alan Trouten seems in order, and perhaps also Shaun Molloy's restoration in place of Mick Dunlop. Dunlop's a good player, but did Shaun ever deserve to lose his place?
    The next 3 games pair us up with without doubt the three worst teams in the country - Elgin, Albion Rovers and East Stirling. A win over Elgin on Saturday may see Davie Robertson leave at last and we need to win, and Rovers and Shire must also be beaten. We can still catch East Fife and all efforts need to be put towards that.

Queen's Park: David Crawford, Ross Clark (John Weir 64), Mick Dunlop, Steven Reilly, Andy McGinty, Alan Trouten, Stuart Kettlewell, Tony Quinn (Jonny Whelan 87), David Weatherston, Kevin Proctor (Shaun Molloy 73), Mark Ferry. Substitutes not used: Richard Sinclair, Alexander Cowie.
Booked: Reilly.

Cowdenbeath: David Hay, Mark Baxter (Dougie Hill 88), Kevin McBride, John Ward, Innes Ritchie, Gary Fusco, Marc Millar, Marcus Paatelainen, Ryan McCallum (Darren McGregor 88), Andy Jackson, Robert Downs (David Wilson 80). Substitutes not used: Lukas Krobot, Andy Carlin.
Booked: Ritchie.

Referee: Jamie Downie.
Attendance: 391.

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