| Queen's Park travelled to East Stirlingshire yesterday keen to get themselves back into winning ways. Billy Stark stuck with the same starting eleven as last week, but there was a change on the bench - Mark Ferry, a former St. Johnstone player, coming into the squad in place of Tony Quinn. Queen's had Shire under pressure right from the start, but it wasn't until the 8th minute that we saw the first Queen's shot of the match. Unfortunately Frankie Carroll's effort was left to go well wide of the post by the keeper. Soon after Queen's won the first corner of the match, but it came to nothing as Stuart Kettlewell was penalised for a foul on a defender. Just after this Big Ally Graham clearly had Gilpin worried as he forced the Shire keeper into fumbling his catch of a free kick. It was then Shire's turn to have an attack, but it ended with Ross Donaldson's weak shot being easily gathered by Crawford. With 15 mintues on the clock, Queen's took the lead. Ally Graham had his back to goal on the edge of the penalty area, and layed the ball off to Alan Trouten on the right wing. Alan fired in a low cross and Frankie Carroll tapped the ball into the net. Shire tried to hit straight back, but Thywisson shot wide after Donaldson's lay-off. Gilpin was then called into action again, coming out quickly to block a through-ball which Alan Trouten was trying to reach. Just after this Kettlewell made a good run up field from the half-way line and tried to play Carroll in. Frankie fell just outside the area, but referee Melville turned down any claims for a free-kick. Shire had another chance after 25 minutes when a free kick from the left was headed on, but the effort went wide. Two minutes later and it was 2-0, and in a bizzare fashion. Ally Graham had flicked the ball on for wee Frankie, who had controlled the ball brilliantly with his heel and was preparing to run in on goal. The Shire number 2, David Harvey, intercepted the ball and tried to send it out for a corner, but the wind had other ideas. The ball held up in the air, sailed just over a stretching Gilpin and dropped nicely into the bottom corner of the net. Shire once again nearly hit straight back, and Donaldson's shot following a corner hit Shaun Molloy on the goal line and was cleared. Shire put on a bit more pressure in the next five mintues, and Sinclair came close to scoring an OG himself when heading the ball out for a corner. David Crawford was called on to make a save from a McGhee shot, and then on 35 minutes Shire had possibly their best chance of the match. The ref awarded a free kick 20 yards from the Queens goal, and Dunbar stepped up to take. His shot looked to be going in the top right corner, but DC somehow got across to push the ball behind for a corner. From this corner, Ross Clark had to header the ball off the goal line. With 5 mintues to go in the half, QP had two more chances to extend the lead. First Ally Graham's low cross from the right was missed by both Clark and Carroll, then on the stroke of half time Carroll found himself in a one-on-one with Ross Gilpin, but his shot hit the side netting. It had been a comfortable first half for Queen's - once or twice we had let Shire come a little too close for comfort, but in general we had looked very solid, and with the scoreline as it was, you felt pretty sure where the three points would be going at full time. Half time score: East Stirlingshire 0 - 2 Queen's Park Barely a minute into the second half and it was 3-0. After Stuart Kettlewell had seen a shot from long range blocked, the ball came out to Ross Clark, who passed the ball out wide to Ally Graham on the left. The big man took his time before launching a shot towards the goal. The ball once again sailed over Ross Gilpin before floating into the top-right corner of the net for Ally's first league goal of the season. Two minutes later and Carroll nearly made if four. Shaun Molloy's low cross somehow evaded Frankie's outstretched foot, and the ball rolled agonisingly across the face of goal. Just after this however, Frankie did indeed score the fourth goal. Gilpin had fumbled Alan Trouten's cross, and after the resulting corner had been cleared, Stuart Kettlewell put the ball back into the box for Frankie to head home and score his fifth goal in his five league appearances this season. Dennis Newall responded to this by making three substitutions - Ross, Donaldson and Robertson were replaced by Ure, Moffat and Findlay. This didn't end Shire's problems however, as soon after that Stuart Kettlewell and Alan Trouten opened up their defence again, but Stuart, under pressure from Ure, fired high and wide. Then Frankie Carroll, in search of his hat-trick, saw a first-time shot curl just inches wide of the left-hand post. Then Stuart Kettlewell created another great chance for himself. He won two tackles to win the ball from the Shire defence and was clean through on goal, but his shot was touched wide by keeper Gilpin. From the resulting corner, Stuart had another go from long range, but his shot was again blocked. The ball fell to Ally Graham, who passed the ball out wide to Alan Trouten. Alan's cross was half cleared, but the follow-up shot from Damiano Agostini was well wide. On 64 minutes, Ally Graham headed just over from a Molloy free-kick, and soon after Ally tried to play Clark in, but Ross was tackled about 12 yards from goal and the ball was cleared. With 20 minutes to go, Billy Stark brought on Mark Ferry for Shaun Molloy. Ferry took up a place in the centre of midfield, with Ross Clark moving out wide to take Molloy's place on the left. On 73 mintues there was another bizzare own goal, once again from the unfortunate David Harvey. This time it was a cross coming into the Shire box, which Harvey tried to volley away at the back post. The ball however went high towards the front post, and for the second time in the game Ross Gilpin found himself lobbed by his own man as the ball sailed over him and dropped into the back of the net. On 78 minutes a Clark corner from the right was met by the head of Ally Graham, but Gilpin saved and, perhaps for the first time in the game, held onto the ball. Queens won another corner a minute later, but before it could be taken Billy Stark made his second change - Paul Harvey replacing Brian Blair. Harvey was involved in the action straight away as the corner was played short to him, and his cross was headed just over by Ally Graham. With five minutes left the final change for Queen's was made, Big Ally Graham being replaced with Bryan Felvus. A minute later and Shire had another chance. David Crawford, clearly itching for a bit of action, came a long way out to punch a ball which was intended for Findlay and, with DC miles out of position, the ball was sent back towards the goal. Fortunately it evaded both the net and the Shire man who was lurking in the 6 yard box. This wouldn't have been a QP game if there hadn't been a penalty claim turned down, but in this case we had to wait until three minutes from time when Frankie Carroll appeared to be fouled in the box. The referee, however, was unmoved by the claims. Mr Melville did though give QP a free kick 2 minutes from time, which Ross Clark sent just over the bar. This was the last action of note of the game, and what a game it was. I've never before seen a 5-0 win by QP, and not only the scoreline but also the performance yesterday were very pleasing. To be fair, the defence were untroubled for most of the game, but going forward we showed confidence and skill, stringing together one or two good passing moves. Mark Ferry also looks to be a good player. We're back up to fourth in the league again, and I see no reason now not to be feeling optimistic about how things are going. The trip to New Chernobyl next week is another important game - let's hope we can take all three points off the Fifers. Basil's Man of the Match: Frankie Carroll |
| East Stirlingshire Queen's Park |
| 0 5 |
(Carroll 2, D Harvey 2 (2 OGs), Graham) |
| East Stirlingshire: Ross Gilpin, David Harvey, Graham McGhee, Jamie MacKay, Chris Newall, Scott Livingston, Paul Ross (Alan Moffat 51), Carl Thywisson, Ross Donaldson (Derek Ure 51), Jamie Dunbar, Joe Robertson (Grant Findlay 51). Subs not used: Steve Oates, Tony Mitchell (SK). Queen's Park: David Crawford, Alan Trouten, Damiano Agostini, Gavin Rushford, Richard Sinclair, Shaun Molloy (Mark Ferry 70), Stewart Kettlewell, Ross Clark, Ally Graham (Bryan Felvus 85), Frankie Carroll, Brian Blair (Paul Harvey 79). Subs not used: David Weatherston, Steve McGovern (SK). Booked: none Goals: Carroll 15 & 49, D Harvey 27og & 73og, Graham 46 Referee: Cammy Melville. Attendance: 335 |