Elgin City came to Hampden yesterday third in the league, one point above Queen's Park. It was a big match - one in which a win would have seen Queen's re-take third spot. It was also a match we felt we could win - Elgin may be an improved side from last year, but surely we would still be able to do enough to beat them. Any hopes of a win were, however, dashed by a combination of terrible luck on our part, and total negative football on the part of the visitors. Queen's had a chance for a goal in the first minute of the match. Paul Harvey played a ball into the box for Ally Graham, who flicked it on for Frankie Carroll. Frankie managed to win a challenge with the keeper but the ball ran lose and was picked up by Stuart Kettlewell. Stuart tried a shot from distance, but it was blocked on the eighteen yard line. There were claims at this point for hand ball, but the referee just shook his head. With only three minutes on the clock Queen's forced the first corner of the match, but it was quickly cleared and Elgin had a chance to go forward. David McCallum however dealt easily with the danger. A few minutes later Reid, Napier and Roddie combined well in the Queen's box, but again McCallum was on hand and cleared the ball for a corner. Next, with eight minutes gone, Ally Graham headered just wide from Clark's cross from the left. We were then back down the QP end, and Alan Trouten had to clear a Jamie McKenzie free kick. With 12 minutes gone, Frankie Carroll was fouled by Elgin's trialist. Paul Harvey played the ball short to David McCallum, who swung a cross in right on top of the keeper. Renton lost out to Big Ally in the challenge, and Mark Ferry picked up the lose ball and won Queen's another corner. McCallum's corner came in from the right and was met by the head of Ally Graham. A combination of the keeper's hand and the crossbar kept the ball out, before a defender headed the ball inches over for another corner. This second corner was cleared and Elgin broke upfield but didn't manage to threaten the Queens goal. After 20 minutes Kettlewell looked to have been brought down on the edge of the box by the Elgin trialist, but again Mr.Underhill just shook his head. A couple of minute later Alan Trouten was caught late by Andy Roddie. Queens tried to play the free kick down the wing and won a throw-in. Eventually the ball came into the box from Mark Ferry, and Ross Clark ran in late to get a long-range header on goal, but Renton came out to claim the ball. A minute later Paul Harvey saw a shot fly just wide of the keepers right-hand post, and then Alan Trouten saw a left foot shot deflected into exactly the same place after a good run and a cut inside. Just before the half hour mark Paul Harvey made a good run after Ally Graham's flick, and Frankie Carroll was unlucky to see his shot on the turn go wide. Then on the half hour Mark Ferry won a corner, which David McCallum swung into the box only to see it headed away. David got a second chance though, and this time played the ball short to Paul Harvey. Paul's ball into the box went straight to Damiano Agostini, who miscontrolled and the ball went behind for a goal kick. On 31 minutes disaster struck. A rare Elgin attack lead to a scramble in the Queen's box, and the ball fell to Martin Harty on the left side of the penalty area. His shot was deflected off Stuart Kettlewell, leaving David Crawford helplessly diving to his left while the ball rolled into the other corner of the net. With six minutes to go to half time, Frankie Carroll laid the ball off to David McCallum on the left and his 20 yard shot was deflected over the crossbar by the keeper. A minute later Frankie won Queen's a free kick 22 yards out, but Graham could only fire the ball over the bar. The last action of the half was a yellow card for Stuart Kettlewell after he went in hard on the Elgin trialist. To be 1-0 down at half time was unbelievable - we had had the majority of the ball and by far the more goalscoring chances and yet it was Elgin who had scored the goal. We just had to hope that we could take a few of our chances in the second half. Half time score: Queen's Park 0 - 1 Elgin Queen's came out firing in the second half. With less than a minute of the half gone Frankie Carroll had a long-range shot, but it was straight at keeper Renton. Then Queens won a free kick 25 yards out, which was played in by David McCallum. Bremner missed his clearance and Carroll picked up the loose ball, but the ref blew for a foul by Stuart Kettlewell. Stuart however had come off worst in the challenge, and he had to go off breifly for treatment. With 49 minutes gone Ross Clark made a good run down the left wing and cut along the bye-line into the box. The trialist however made a good block challenge to put the ball out for the corner. The next action came two minutes later when a Trouten cross into the box caused a bit of confusion. Lack of communication between the trialist and the keeper left Renton flapping at the ball, but unfortunately there were no Queen's players in a position to make the most of the situation. With 52 minutes gone Queen's should really have scored. An amazing 90 seconds started when Ross Clark won another corner wide on the left. Harvey tried to play a short one-two with Ross, but was challenged and the ball went for a throw, from which McCallum won another corner. This time the ball was played into the box, and Damiano Agostini tried a volley from 15 yards but the shot was blocked by the sea of red Elgin shirts. Paul Harvey picked up the loose ball and took it to the bye-line before chipping it back into the six yard box for Ally Graham. Ally's header was somehow played just off the goal line by a defender and went inches past the post for another corner. The corner again went into the middle and when it was only half cleared it was Kettlewell's turn to have a shot. A defender on the goal line somehow managed to header the ball onto the cross bar and away, and this time when the ball came back in Renton gathered it up. In the space of less than two minutes Queen's could have had three goals, but as it was it was we were still 1-0 down. A few minutes later and yet another chance came. This time an off-balance Stuart Kettlewell got on the end of a Paul Harvey free kick, but the ball went harmlessly over the bar. Just after this a cross from David McCallum sailed narrowly over the head of Ally Graham. Just after the hour mark Elgin nearly added a very undeserved second. Reid broke forward, beating Damiano Agostini, but fortunately not Gavin Rushford. David Crawford came rushing off his line as Reid entered the box, and as Gav closed on him from behind Reid hit his shot from about the penalty spot. DC managed to get both hands to the ball and deflect it away to his left - a brilliant save. A minute later Jamie McKenzie's temper began to show through as he threw the ball angrily to the ref when a foul was given against a teammate. Then with 68 mintues played an Elgin player finally went in the book. Paul Harvey's good run was brought to an unfair end 20 yards out by Bremner, and the referee rightly produced the yellow card. Elgin then made their first substitution - Vigurs replacing McKenzie - before Clark fired the free kick over the bar. With twenty minutes to go Mark Ferry got his head to Harvey's cross, but the ball went narrowly wide of the post with Renton totally lost. A minute later Elgin actually won a corner, but it was cleared easily by Ally Graham, and then as the ball came back in the standside linesman flagged for offside. Mark Ferry then had another shot after a Clark lay-off, but Elgin's "ten men behind the ball" tactic was working perfectly, and the shot didn't make it through to the keeper. With 14 minutes to go, the already booked Bremner fouled David McCallum on the left wing. Paul Harvey came across to take the kick, and the ball fell to Mark Ferry on the 18 yard line. He hit a drive through the sea of bodies towards the goal, but Renton did well to parry the ball. Frankie Carroll tried to reach the ball for the follow up, and appeared to be bundled over as he got to the ball on the bye-line, but referee Underhill deemed only a goal kick should be given. Mark Ferry had yet another shot going into the last ten mintues, but he was off balance and although the shot had Renton well beaten, it went past the post. On 84 minutes Elgin signalled that they were replacing Andy Roddie, who was playing over on the Elgin left. Referee Underhill made a big point of gesturing to his watch, presumably saying "however long you take, I'm adding it on at the end". Roddie took his time, and on 85 minutes he left the pitch to be replaced by Garry Wood. With three mintues of the ninety left, Bremner put Ross Clark up in the air in a late challenge. Mr.Underhill had to think carefully before signalling 'play on', as Queens still had the ball. We had assumed that as soon as play stopped the ref would call the Elgin man over to discipline him for the foul, but amazingly this didn't happen. Perhaps the ref had had time to rethink the idea of booking Bremner, as it would have been his second, but the foul should without doubt have been punished with a yellow card and Bremner should not have stayed on the pitch. With a minute to go Frankie Carroll saw another shot saved after Big Ally's lay-off, and then Queens won another corner. Before it was taken however Elgin made their third change, this time Lennox replaced Reid. Paul Harvey played the corner in, and after a bit of scramble Ross Clark tried an over-head kick but the effort was cleared away from the back post. Into injury time and Graham saw a header blocked, before Queens won one last free kick out wide on the right. Sadly David McCallum slipped just as he hit the ball and the it was cleared away from danger. Somehow, despite constant pointing at the watch as Elgin tried to timewaste in the last ten mintues, referee Underhill only played 2 mintues of stoppage time, and while we were unlikely to get a late goal in this game it was frustrating to hear the final whistle go. As I said, 1-0 at half time was unbelievable. To finish the match with a 1-0 defeat seemed impossible, and yet that's what happened. Elgin rode their luck on a few occasions, but the result was also down to their almost total lack of interest in extending their lead once they had the goal. They sat back and played 10 men behind the ball as much as possible, making it very difficult for us to get decent shots at goal. When the ball was cleared from the Elgin defence it almost always came straight back at them, and yet somehow they held out. On numerous occasions saved by the woodwork or a goalline clearance, on another day Queens might easily have won 3-1 or 4-1 without anyone complaining. Some Elgin fans may make a come back like "you're just jealous" or "so what, it worked", but personally I'd rather see a team that plays real football any day than the boring, negative tactics presented to us by David Robertson's team yesterday. As for Queens, our players all did their best, but sometimes when you have so much against you there is nothing else you can do. And as for anyone who feels like taking their frustrations out on Paul Harvey I have to say that I feel this critisism it totally unjustified - Paul did his bit as well as any other Spider on the pitch yesterday, and he was my man of the match. Anyone who wants to question his commitment should try just getting behind the team on matchdays instead of making unnecessary remarks about one of our players. Basil's Man of the Match: Paul Harvey Queen's Park: David Crawford, Alan Trouten, David McCallum, Gavin Rushford, Damiano Agostini, Paul Harvey, Stuart Kettlewell, Ross Clark, Ally Graham, Frankie Carroll, Mark Ferry. Subs not used: Brian Blair, Shaun Molloy, Richard Sinclair, Bryan Felvus, Steve McGovern (SK). Booked: Kettlewell (45, two-footed challenge) Elgin: Keiron Renton, Stuart Cumming, Martin Harty, Trialist, Paul Kaczan, Jamie McKenzie (Iain Vigurs 68), Fraser Bremner, Adam Nelson, Philip Reid (Anton Lennox 90), Paul Napier, Andy Roddie (Garry Wood 84). Subs not used: Darryn Kelly, Stewart McKenzie (SK). Booked: Bremner (68, cynical foul) Goals: Harty 31 Referee: John Underhill Attendance: 507 |
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