queens_gretna_01_11

Queen's Park

Gretna

( Cameron )

So that was the Hampden centenary match was it? Where, then, was the fighting spirit, the combination football and organisation that Queen's Park pioneered all those years ago? But letting the burden of history weigh us down further will do no good. Already, even by the more modest standards these players have set in a smattering of matches, its obvious that we're not playing well enough without throwing in centenaries and long-gone history to complicate matters. But the occasion just makes this result jar all the more. Gretna thoroughly deserved their win; its been the custom for them to throw away points they appeared to have earned by wasteful finishing or slack defending, but with Martin Cameron in tow, the former problem has been reduced, whereas for the latter, it's impossible to judge given how little Queen's seriously threatened in attack.
     First to clear up any confusion regarding Steven Reilly's eligibility for this game: it had been reported that he was suspended, but he started the match wearing his usual no. 8 jersey. Seemingly his ban will apply for next week's visit of Cowdenbeath, but given how disappointingly he played, it would have been better had he missed today's game instead. Alongside him in midfield were Whelan and Paddy Gallagher, making his first start of the campaign in place of an off-form Ross Clark. A change was also made in attack with Stephen McAuley replacing Frankie Carroll.
     After less than a minute the tone for the day was set when Ian Stevens managed to spring clear of the Queen's defence, blasting narrowly over when a calmer approach may have brought the first goal. Five minutes later and the defence was again stretched by the veteran striker, who avoided a couple of tackles as he moved down the left before Sinclair slid clear for a corner. We would struggle to cope with Gretna's expansive style throughout, and Stevens was a particular danger.
     Some clever play from Ally Graham and Steven Reilly set up McAuley after 14 minutes, but he couldn't bring the ball under proper control, and Gallagher's follow-up attempt was blocked.
     It was obvious how quickly Gretna had cottoned on to our weakness on the wings and they sought to take every advantage of this. The 3-5-2 system works reasonably when Queen's can get themselves in the ascendancy, but when we're on the back foot against a team with pace and boldness its flaws are all too exposed. Gretna should have taken the lead after 25 minutes, but Holdsworth's poke towards goal was hooked off the line by Thompson following a corner. The defence had stopped, and Scrimgour had to be sharp to retrieve the ball at several players' feet after Gretna knocked it back in.
     Gretna continued to command the game and it seemed a goal was merely a matter of time. Stevens went on a marauding run through the centre, leaving a timid defence gaping, and fired in a quick shot with his left foot which Scrimgour palmed wide. Paddy Gallagher tried to emulate this with a solo effort of his own but the final shot caused considerably less concern this time.
     The frustration from the gallery was tangible as Gretna again opened the Queen's defence up, Cameron's pass slipping Stevens through, but Scrimgour was brilliantly equal to his shot from the angle of the goal area. With 35 minutes gone, it seemed as though Queen's cracking resistance had finally been ended when Cameron nodded home Skelton's cross from the left, but the flag had already been raised; and not for the last time as the Gretna forwards persistently failed to time their runs.
     While Gretna may have been well on top, it would scarcely be a Queen's Park match if there wasn't one great missed chance to analyse, and it arrived in the 37th minute. McAuley enjoyed good fortune in having a loose ball run in to his path 30 yards from goal, and with Gallagher hovering to his left, the best option would have been a square pass allowing Paddy a clear run on goal. But McAuley ignored him and decided to be greedy, and while he did well to tease two defenders before striking a shot firmly at goal which Mathieson turned away, the angle of the shot made a goal very unlikely. Still, it was our best attempt to date, and since Gretna were kept relatively quiet for the remainder of the half, it was possible to feel a little hopeful about the second period.
     But really the flow of the game did not alter after the break. Gretna were still dictating things, and we had a couple of narrow escapes within 10 minutes of the restart. First Cameron's back-header shaved the bar, and within the minute they had the ball in the net when Stevens met Cameron's headed assist to nod home following a fine cross from Baldacchino. However, Stevens had been in an offside position, and a nervy defence and stranded Scrimgour had enjoyed another narrow escape.
      Sadly these warnings from Gretna were never fully heeded by Queen's as they continued to gift possession to their opponents in all areas of the park. The increasingly dangerous Baldacchino lashed a swerving shot high after 61 minutes, and it was clear that with him on the right and Skelton, then Gordon, on the left, Gretna had a balanced shape that we couldn't match.
      Surprisingly Kenny Brannigan elected to make all three changes with more than 20 minutes still to play, a hint of his dissatisfaction at Queen's's standard of play. The midfield was re-jigged with Kettlewell and Clark coming on for Whelan and Gallagher, and a few minutes later Frankie Carroll replaced McAuley who still appeared to have something to offer.
     For Gretna this was looking ever more like a potential two points dropped, something their supporters have become used to since they joined the Scottish League; for Queen's a point was also of little value but certainly more than their play would merit. The first goal was now patently going to be pivotal, and Prokas almost got it when, in plenty of room on the edge of the box, he carefully placed the ball towards the corner only for Scrimgour to tip it past the post.
     Danny Ferry had a half-chance when his rare foray into the area was almost found by Graham's cross, then Reilly passed up a chance to shoot on the edge of the box, instead crossing aimlessly for Carroll who could never have reached it. And at last in the eightieth minute, Gretna scored the winning goal their play had promised for so much of the game. Queen's had been uncertain when facing crosses already, and when Galloway's corner from the far side was swung in, Cameron rose to power his header into the opposite corner of the goal.
     There was frankly no way back for Queen's, and it would have been akin to armed robbery had we claimed an equaliser. Graham's header went over from Ferry's free kick, and then a curling shot from Kettlewell flashed wide from 20 yards. But it was clear that our miserable record in home games would go on. Anyone else only going to away matches from now on?

Queen's Park: Derek Scrimgour, Danny Ferry, John Thompson, Richard Sinclair, Damiano Agostini, Steven Fallon, Paddy Gallagher ( Ross Clark 65 ), Steven Reilly, Ally Graham, Jonny Whelan ( Stuart Kettlewell 65 ), Stephen McAuley ( Frankie Carroll 69 ). Substitutes not used: Steven Canning, David Crawford.

Gretna: David Mathieson, Mark Birch, Lee Maddison, Richard Prokas, David Irons, David Holdsworth, Ryan Baldacchino, Michael Galloway, Martin Cameron ( James Allan 88 ), Ian Stevens, Gavin Skelton ( Wayne Gordon 71 ). Substitutes not used: Stephen Cosgrove, Ryan McGuffie, David Wylie.

Goal: Martin Cameron 80.
Referee: C. Allan.

Attendance: 522.