| Queen's Park |
| 1 |
| ( Kettlewell ) |
| Stenhousemuir |
| 2 |
| ( McInally, McGrillen ) |
| The result was certainly not what we had hoped for, but the performance from Queen's on Saturday was not disheartening. Stenny showed why they had been tipped as one of the favourites for the Championship, but Queen's were equal to almost everything they had to offer over the 90 minutes. It is at this stage I should perhaps point out that due to a breakdown in communication, none of the Fansite team came to the match on Saturday with a notebook - everyone expected I was going to write the report. Everyone that is, except me. So, once again, you are left with a slightly abreviated match report, and sadly I can't go into too much detail. However, you can rest assured that our League Cup tie tomorrow night at Firs Park will receive top-class attention from us! The one downside to Queens performance on Satuday was that the defence seemed to get caught out a few times, and perhaps the best example of this was the first goal. Frankie Carroll, looking rather out of place in his new maroon Stenny shirt, ran down the right and played a cut-back into the box. Striker Colin Cramb came flying into the box, only to fall over the ball on the penalty spot. Just as it looked like Queens had got away with it, an unmarked David McInally latched onto the ball on the edge of the area and belted it into the top corner, leaving DC no chance. This was a pretty big blow to Queens, but we fought back well, and fifteen minutes later it was all square. As well as playing two up front (which was noticeably more effective than the one-up last week), the wingers were also getting well involved in the action, and it was Stuart Kettlewell who came in from the right for the equaliser. Stuart chased a ball over the top into the box, but McCulloch came rushing off his line and looked to have it covered. With a composure that Thierry Henry would have been proud of, Stuart stuck out a boot and flicked the ball over McCulloch and into the net. Soon after this, and just before half time, Stuart sustained an injury after one tackle too many by the Stenny players. If I didn't know any better, I'd suggest that Stenny were getting stuck into him in an attempt to wind him up with a view to getting him sent off, and though Kettlewell kept his head well, Stenny in the end achieved their goal to some extent, with Stuart having to go off injured at half time. The second half saw plenty of goal-mouth action from both teams, but as the clock ticked towards the 90 minutes, it seemed to be the case that neither side would actually find the back of the net. Jonny Whelan perhaps had Queens best chance, performing a flying volley in the box, but his shot flew over. Meanwhile at the other end, Ross Clark had made a brilliant last-ditch tackle in the box, coming from seemingly nowhere as Colin Cramb lined up to shoot. Crawford also made some good saves to deny Stenny the lead. It had been an exciting game, and a draw was probably a fair result for both teams, but sadly Stenny had other ideas. With five minutes left, Cramb made a run into the QP box, and was left one-on-one with DC. A goal seemed inevitable, but again QP looked to have been let-off when Cramb allowed himself to be forced wide. However, he then did a quick backheel, allowing sub McGrillen to blast the ball into the net. It was a difficult one to take, but with 35 games left and the deficit being only 3 points, a top of the league finish is not yet outwith our grasp. Let's not forget as well that, over the season, things balance themselves out - in other words at some point we'll pick up a win when a draw would be the fair result. There's no such thing as a draw in the cup though, and we'll be hoping that we don't need extra-time or penalties to beat the Shire tomorrow night. Above all, remember - keep the faith! Queen's Park: David Crawford, Ross Clark, Shaun Molloy, Steven Reilly, Richard Sinclair, Paul Harvey, Stuart Kettlewell (John Weir 46), Tony Quinn, Richard Bowers (Jonny Whelan 67), David Weatherston (Bryan Felvus 81), Mark Ferry. Subs not used: Damiano Agostini, Alex Cowie (SK). Goal: Stuart Kettlewell 33 Booked: none Stenhousemuir: McCulloch, Renwick, Henderson, Denham, McKeown, McBride (Sinclair 41), McKenzie, Collins, Carroll, Cramb (Savage 88), McInally (McGrillen 64). Subs not used: Menzies, Fahey (SK) Goals: McInally 18, McGrillen 85. Booked: Cramb, Denham Attendance: 487 |