| It was always going to be a tough game, it was always going to be a close game. All our games against Gretna in the past have followed this pattern, not to mention the tendancy the two sides have of scoring late goals against one another. None of this, however, could have prepared anyone for the game we witnessed at Hampden Park yesterday. The game got off to a flying start, and Ross Clark had the first shot of the match, but fired just wide. Two minutes later and Clark had another chance - Trouten made a run down the right and played a low ball accross the face of goal which Ross couldn't quite turn into the net. Gretna soon got going too, but Bingham's shot after five minutes was nowhere near to troubling David Crawford. Gretna soon won the first corner of the match - Reilly blocking a David Bingham cut-back. After a bit of a scramble in the box, Reilly eventually cleared the ball. The end-to-end football continued, and Shaun Molloy was next on the attack for Queens. He broke down the left and beat a number of defenders before eventually shooting straight at keeper Mathieson when perhaps a pass to Frankie Carroll in the middle would have been the better option. With only 15 minutes on the clock, Queen's were forced to make their first substitution - Paul Harvey had picked up an injury and was replaced by Stuart Kettlewell. The next ten minutes saw a couple of corners for Queens, which sadly came to nothing, and a mis-cued Frankie Carroll shot. They also saw Steven Reilly go down with a facial injury in a challenge with Andy Smith, possibly the result of an elbow. Ten minutes before half time, and the referee was producing the first yellow cards of the game. Ryan Baldacchino had fallen after a challenge which the referee deemed as a foul. Gavin Rushford was clearly unhappy at the Gretna winger and tried to drag Baldacchino to his feet. Baldacchino reacted angrily to this, and the referee decided a yellow card for both players was called for. David Crawford was finally forced to make a save just after this incident, when Andy Smith collected the ball in the box, turned, and fired in a shot. The Queens keeper was equal to it, and this sparked a break up the other end. Shaun Molloy received the ball inside the QP half and ran all the way into the Gretna box. He had three defenders on him, and managed to play the ball past two of them, but the third read the ball well and cut it out before Shaun could collect it again and have a shot. Just before half time both sides came close to breaking the deadlock. David Bingham forced a save from Crawford, and then David McCallum produced a save from Mathieson with a free-kick. It had been an exicing first half, and it was a pity that Queens had nothing to show for all their efforts. Half time score: Queen's Park 0 - 0 Gretna The second half began much like the first, and Ross Clark again fired wide only two minutes into the half after an Ally Graham lay-off. Having come so close ourselves, it was perhaps predictable that we would lose a goal straight away - in football, luck seems to have this way of doing that to you! Steven Reilly had collected the ball in the QP box, but David Bingham was on top of him before he was able to clear the ball. After a bit of a scramble between the pair the ball rolled loose and Ryan Baldacchino ran onto it to fire it into the net . Queens tried to hit straight back a minute later as Ross Clark made a long run from the halfway line to the edge of the box. Ross appeared to be fouled as he entered the box, but the referee decided that he had in fact dived, and issued him with a yellow card. It looked like a foul to me - perhaps this was the referee's way of getting out of deciding if the foul was inside or outside the box! Queens again had a chance to score a few minutes later, but Frankie Carroll volleyed wide from just inside the box. A minute later and Gretna had several chances to grab a second. First Molloy interceped a pass which would have given Bingham an easy tap-in, then Alan Trouten cleared off the line after the resulting corner. Seconds later and Crawford had to tip the ball over the bar from a sliced clearance from his own player. This corner resulted in a clash between David Holdsworth and Shaun Molloy in the box - both went down injured and the ball was put out of play, but fortunately both were soon OK to continue. Just before the hour mark Queens had a strong claim for a penatly - David Holdsworth appeared to handle the ball in the box as he got to it ahead of Ally Graham. The referee however, who seemed to get worse as the second half went on, was unmoved by the shouts. He did however take action when Prokas went down after a challenge by Alan Trouten. A foul perhaps, but surely not a bookable offence in itself, and it was also Alan's first foul of the game. Four minutes later and the referee's judgement was called into question again - the ball was played towards a Gretna forward in the box and as he went for it he dragged Shaun Molloy with him by the shirt. The ref somehow missed it, despite it being one of the most clearly visable fouls of the match. With 25 minutes to go, Gretna made their first change - McQuilken coming on for Boyd. They made their second change three minutes later - Holdsworth having picked up an injury and being replaced by McGuffie. McGuffie nearly scored with his first touch - heading a corner downwards with power, but Crawford caught the ball in the air as it tried to bounce over his head. Just after this, Prokas went straight through Ross Clark with a challenge near the touchline. The foul was given, but the yellow card that the tackle should have merrited was not. Clark had to hobble off the pitch, but a couple of minutes later he was fit enough to come back on and strike a free kick (albeit a little weakly) from the edge of the 'd'. Sadly it was an easy save for Mathieson. Again Gretna went straight up the other end and nearly grabbed a goal. Andy Smith managed to win a header against two defenders, and David Crawford did brilliantly to make a diving save after seeing it late. With eighteen minutes left, Bobby Dickson and Scott Murdoch decided they'd have to make an attacking change, sending on Bryan Felvus in place of Brian Blair. Queens soon had another chance to equalise - Molloy beat his man well on the left, and crossed for Ally Graham whose knock-down for Frankie Carroll was sadly volleyed over. Two mintues later and Queens finally got the equaliser they had looked for for so long. A free kick was flicked on by Ally Graham, and Bryan Felvus produced a great diving header from 5 yards to score his first goal for the club. The celebrations were short lived however as all the good work looked to be undone less than a minute later. The referee decided that Stuart Kettlewell had committed a foul out on the QP right, and as the free kick was sent accross the box David Bingham rose unchallenged at the near post to head the ball in. It would have been so easy for a team's spirit to hit a new low when this happened. To go 2-1 down 60 seconds after equalising should have deflated any team, but not our team. Queens pushed on for another equaliser, and Bryan Felvus nearly got it when another free kick found it's way through to him in front of goal. This time however a combination of the post and the goalie's foot kept the ball out. The ball was then cut back to Ross Clark, but his effort was blocked and sent behind for a corner by Gretna striker Andy Smith. A minute later though and QP were back on level terms. This time it was a long throw from Bryan Felvus which reached Ross Clark in the box. Ross rose above keeper Mathieson to head the ball on and Frankie Carroll was on hand to somehow knock the ball home, despite the best attempts of a defender to drag his shirt off and strangle him. That goal surely silenced anyone in the QP 'support' who had earlier been shouting abuse at wee Frankie. There were still 6 minutes to play - still too soon to predict the final score given the history our two sides have with each other. Sure enough, Gretna had another chance to take the lead two mintues after this equaliser, when Ryan Baldacchino somehow toe-poked the ball wide from no more that two yards. As good as this was, the best was still to come. Two minutes from time, another Felvus long throw won Queens a corner on the right. McCallum again took the kick, and again it was aimed towards Ally Graham in the six yard box. Big Ally went up with a defender for the ball, which ended up falling to Stuart Kettlewell, who had never before scored for the club. Stuart took his time before lashing the ball right footed into the roof of the net to give Queen's Park a 3-2 lead. Gretna responded by sending on Kenny Deuchar for Richard Prokas, while QP took Ally G off to be replaced by Agostini. Roughly three minutes of stoppage time were played - two of them spent in the corner where Frankie Carroll and David McCallum had the idea of playing Gretna at their own game in and attempt to see out time without conceeding another goal! Gretna did, however get down into the QP end, but only suceeded in giving us a goal kick. There wasn't even time for DC to take this, as the ref then blew the final whistle. I have to say that this was the most exciting Queen's game I have seen in a long time. The effort put in by the players, especially in the last 10 minutes, was superb - they didn't once give in or let the heads drop. Billy Stark, who was presumably watching from the stand, must be really pleased to be taking over a team with a squad like ours. Problem is, we'll now be expecting great things of him straight away! The game on Tuesday against Forfar now more than ever looks like it'll be a great game - let's hope so!! Basil's Man of the Match: Ross Clark |
| Queen's Park Gretna |
| 3 2 |
| (Felvus, Carroll, Kettlewell) (Baldacchino, Bingham) |
| Queen's Park: David Crawford, Alan Trouten, David McCallum, Gavin Rushford, Steven Reilly, Shaun Molloy, Ross Clark, Paul Harvey (Stuart Kettlewell 15), Ally Graham (Damiano Agostini 90), Frankie Carroll, Brian Blair (Bryan Felvus 72). Subs not used: David Weatherston, Steve McGovern (SK). Booked: Rushford (34, aggresive behavior), Clark (49, diving), Trouten (59, late challenge) Goals: Felvus 80, Carroll 84, Kettlewell 88. Gretna: Mathieson, Birch, Skelton, Prokas (Deuchar 89), Aitken, Holdsworth (McGuffie 68), Baldacchino, Galloway, Smith, Bingham, Boyd (McQuilken 65). Subs not used: Cosgrove, Summersgill (SK) Booked: Baldacchino (34, aggresive behavior) Goals: Baldacchino 48, Bingham 81 Referee: Crawford Allan. Attendance: 496 |