| Queen's Park |
| Peterhead |
| 1 |
| 0 |
| ( Raeside own goal ) |
| Time to be vituperative, we thought. But no, Queen's once again did the unexpected and came away with a win at the end of a week that brought further perplexed expressions to the faces of all Queen's Park fans. Just what is going on at the club when our best player of last season, Steven Fallon, follows our next best, Steven Moffat, out of the door, though just to confuse everybody, it is hinted they could return in the future? The cynical would suggest that that future will only occur once Kenny Brannigan takes his own leave, and it can't be coincidence that the likes of Sinclair, McAuley and Whelan, along with Fallon, Moffat and Dunning before them, have slipped out of the starting eleven or been shunted about from pillar to post to play wherever Brannigan sees fit. Yet, Queen's do still possess decent players, regardless of the flawed way in which they are often used, and there will be the odd time when that shows through, and the even odder time when it brings a win. Today was that time. Queen's demonstrated full commitment, with Carcary sublime once more, but he was not the only performer and the likes of Stewart, Ferry and even Reilly were completely solid in what they did. For a team that can't be too satisfied after recent events, it wasn't a bad performance. Once more there were changes to the starting eleven, with Allan Dunning making his first start in months, and in his best position too! Clearly it wasn't going to be any normal game, and that was proved just 4 minutes after the kick-off. Carcary's pace is intolerable for most, no all, Third Division defences, and when he got away down the right wing there was always going to be a problem for Peterhead. Too much of one for Robbie Raeside, who diverted Carcary's slick cut-back beyond his own goalkeeper in a goal eerily similar to that which Jonny Whelan scored to put Queen's ahead at Cowdenbeath a few weeks ago. The surprise was clearly too much for some as the goal was greeted with only modest applause, or maybe the fans were wary of letting their hopes get raised too high. In any event it took a while for Peterhead to show themselves as any sort of force. Queen's looked relatively confident, and McCallum lashed a shot narrowly over the top before Carcary's trickery with the ball almost brought about a second, his juggling confusing the home defence who were relieved to see the final effort smack off the side netting. It took 19 minutes for Peterhead to register any vaguely notable effort, Robertson's downward header easing past Scrimgour's left hand post. Queen's themselves weren't exactly piling on the pressure, with most of the play concentrated in midfield, but Derek Carcary remained an outlet, and his beautiful turn at the byeline forced Good to haul him back and thus pick up a booking half an hour in. Soon after, Mathers managed to spill a corner kick, allowing Whelan to batter in a shot which Mathers recovered well to smother. Three minutes on, Roddie's superb run, which saw him evade Reilly's wild swipe amongst other challenges, resulted in Stewart sliding his cross away from the six-yard box. Peterhead were showing a degree of urgency at last, and Johnston's stooping header from Roddie's cross barely shaved the left hand post of Scrimgour. Three minutes remained until the break when Peterhead came perilously near to an equaliser. Buchan's corner from the stand side was headed on by an unchallenged Peterhead player, Roddie nodded the ball towards goal from a few yards out, and McCallum managed to scramble the ball off the line with any part of the anatomy he could muster. His intervention ensured that Queen's would go in at the interval a goal in front and looking to be in a better position than many had resigned themselves to. The second half would turn into a fairly dour struggle, with Peterhead lacking the invention to pierce Queen's's determined defence despite their command of most of the possession. Consequently it was Queen's who looked the likelier side when hitting on the counter attack and the game could have been settled before the end. Dunning's good ball control allowed him to test Mathers with a bending shot in the 48th minute, and although he didn't do as much in the game as he would have liked, the outcast winger's style of play should be enough to make him a contender for a place every week. But then Kenny Brannigan and common sense have rarely seen eye-to-eye as yet. Mr. Sproule clearly isn't its biggest friend either, booking Ally Graham following a challenge with Raeside which had little to it. The same Peterhead player tried to make amends for his own goal shortly after but his low drive was well held. Over the next twenty-odd minutes Queen's would spurn several half-chances to punish Peterhead on the break, and there was only the vaguest hint of a second goal from the home side. Kenny Brannigan freshened things up by introducing Agostini, another one bizarrely underused in recent weeks despite definitely NOT having an injury, contrary to the official line, and Kettlewell for Stewart and Canning, the former having proved a stubborn obstacle at the back. With 80 minutes played, Peterhead found their first real chance of the half, Johnston failing to make contact with a pass to the back post. Queen's should have put the game beyond Peterhead's recall with four minutes left; inevitably, Carcary was the supplier, bombing clear down the left wing and slipping a pass infield to the onrushing Clark, but the pass was overhit and while Clark had clear air in front of him, he found himself forced slightly wide of the centre. Continuing to run through, Clark attempted a shot from 10 yards but a recovery tackle from a Peterhead defender ended the chance. Martin Bonnar made his home debut before the end, replacing Ally Graham, and with only a minute to go Clark and Carcary swapped roles, Clark this time releasing Derek who homed in on goal from a tight angle and rolled his shot towards Mathers. Peterhead pushed forward for one last salvo but it was too late, and it was strange to realise how little they had done in the second half. Against this Queen's side, competent on the day but with numerous frailties, they would have been expected to create far more at least, but for once Queen's were able to win through. Given the next three games, which are against Shire, Elgin and Rovers respectively, hopes will have been raised, however minutely, of a revival in form. Just pray that Derek Carcary doesn't get injured - ever. Queen's Park: Derek Scrimgour, Danny Ferry, David McCallum, Allan Dunning, David Stewart ( Damiano Agostini 75 ), Ross Clark, Steven Canning ( Stuart Kettlewell 75 ), Steven Reilly, Ally Graham ( Martin Bonnar 87 ), Jonny Whelan, Derek Carcary. Substitutes not used: Paul Harvey, Brian McCue. Booked: Graham. Goal: Robbie Raeside own goal 4. Peterhead: Paul Mathers, Jamie Buchan, Iain Good, Robbie Raeside, Mark Perry, Robert Duncan, Scott Robertson, Daryn Smith ( Stuart Mackay 84 ), Martin Bavidge, Martin Johnston, Andy Roddie. Substitutes not used: Ross Buchanan, Kris Brash, Richard Shand, Kevin Tindal. Booked: Good, Robertson, Roddie. Referee: M. Sproule. Attendance: 581. |