| Stirling Albion |
| Queen's Park |
| 3 |
| 1 |
| ( Rowe, O'Brien, Kelly ) |
| ( McAuley ) |
| So you thought we were always good in cup-ties? Think again. This turned out to be one of Queen's's most convincing defeats of the season, and that after a half-time lead had been registered and plenty of determination shown by the players to make up for the substandard displays we've been subjected to recently. Yet, uncannily, they were true to form once more in the second half, being outplayed by a Stirling Albion side who are best described as competent - no more than that. Frankly, the second half was torture to watch as a Queen's fan and worries now seem widespread that the team might have lost their way altogether. It's now seven matches without a win and Kenny Brannigan may find that this sort of form proves unjustifiable to his employers come contract renewal time next June. Having played against each other last week both teams were bound to be familiar with each other's styles but Kenny Brannigan did his best to confuse the home side with some unusual numbering ( Kettlewell wearing 9 ? ) and the switching of Ross Clark to right wing-back, forcing Danny Ferry on to the bench as a result. As expected Steven Reilly was fielded against his former club, and Derek Carcary did make it on to the bench, much to the satisfaction of this reporter but no doubt to the dread of tannoy announcers and journalists up and down the land who possess an astonishing flair for misspelling, mispronouncing or just confusing his name with some imaginary person. Last week's game might have been dire, but from the off it was clear the cup was going to work its magic and make this an enthralling first half. Loads of chances were made, the tackling was full-blooded, and the play, though not of great technical merit, was that of a customary cup match and provided plenty of entertainment for those in a crowd which was certainly larger than the quoted figure of 617. Ferguson failed to capitalise on a Scrimgour misjudgment after 4 minutes, but Queen's had begun confidently and took the lead with just 5 minutes showing on the watch. Agostini chipped a nice pass out to McAuley advancing down the right, and while he did so was clattered from behind by an opponent. Seemingly distracted by the possibility of a foul, the Stirling defence paused, and McAuley raced through to the edge of the box before lofting the ball delightfully over a foolishly onrushing Hogarth and under the crossbar. Queen's's confidence was soaring and they continued to fight tigerishly for possession and put pressure on the home defence. A Graham cross after he picked up a loose ball posed problems with McAuley lurking but the ball was cleared. Then McAuley should have added a second when a neat back-header from Graham following a free-kick came into his path a few yards out but he chose the complicated option of a volley instead of slamming the ball home, and Hogarth blocked the attempt. Wilson and Whelan traded long-range efforts as Queen's found themselves more on the back foot with Stirling re-grouping after their shaky start. Wilson outwitted Clark on the Queen's right wing in 22 minutes before firing a low drive into the side netting, but Queen's were soon back on the attack themselves. First Whelan's back post header flew off a defender's boot for a corner, from which an attempted clearance swung wildly, and narrowly, over the crossbar, and in the 27th minute McAuley beat the offside trap, struggled to keep the ball in play and only managed a weak sliding pass across goal, but Hogarth fumbled and needed a second bite as Clark tried to follow up. Stirling's expansive style of play was not working due to Queen's commitment to closing them down whenever possible, but befitting a team running away with the league, they remained a threat throughout the first half. McLean lunged in to divert a cross wide after 32 minutes, and amidst a flurry of activity prior to the half-time whistle, Rowe stooped to head a free-kick wide. In between times there were bookings for Smith, Elliot and McNally as well as for John Thompson; in the case of McNally for a piece of backchat to the Queen's fans in response to stick anyone with such ludicrous hair should rightfully receive. No-one could be under the illusion that Stirling wouldn't buck up their ideas in the second half, but Queen's capitulation, unhinted at in the first half, was astonishing given the drive they had displayed at times during the first period. Following a Whelan blast from 30 yards straight after the restart, Stirling grabbed the game by the throat and didn't let go till the match was won. The warning signs were evident when Wilson's corner caused consternation before Agostini knocked it behind, and when Rowe made contact with the second flag kick, Scrimgour, who had slipped when going for the initial one, juggled the ball like a hot potato before catching. An equaliser was coming, and after McLean made a hash of a chance right in front of goal, it came. O'Brien's corner swung in from the left was met by Rowe, whose powerful header looped over Scrimgour's outstretched arms and into the net. Needless to say Rowe should have been picked up more tightly, and it was the beginning of the end for Queen's as Stirling took complete control of midfield - once again the weakest area of the Queen's team. We weren't helped by an injury to Steven Moffat, who left the field on the hour; at least I assume he was unfit given that Jonny Whelan is nothing more than a makeshift replacement in central defence. Danny Ferry came on but instead of swapping positions with Ross Clark to play in his accustomed right-sided role, Ferry moved to the centre of midfield and this did nothing to help Queen's wrestle back any control of this key area. Whelan is too erratic to play central defence consistently and was exposed for Stirling's second, slipping and allowing McLean to charge past; the striker homed in on the near post from the right of the area, drove his shot low only for it to be deflected off the line, but O'Brien could not miss from the rebound. It was clear there and then that the tide had irrevocably turned. Queen's were crestfallen, and fell increasingly out of the game save for a Kettlewell volley and lively play from Carroll, who had replaced a tiring McAuley in the 68th minute. 6 minutes later the result was put beyond doubt. Stirling's third goal arrived almost effortlessly, and yet so avoidably from a Queen's perspective. A simple ball from the edge of the box, Kelly one of a few Stirling men waiting for it, and his nod put the ball past Scrimgour and Queen's out of the cup. The rest of the game was a near-total nonevent, with perhaps the only thing worth mentioning being the belated introduction of Derek Carcary for Ally Graham who had lurched his way lazily through 84 minutes of scarce involvement. Surely Kenny Brannigan cannot afford to persist with Graham up-front when there is so little link-up with his attacking partner. For all the leadership and experience that Graham brings to the table, his lack of active participation and example in games mean he becomes a passenger at times - and Queen's can't afford such things in their current predicament. In any case Carcary did not touch the ball once as Queen's more or less gave up - it was one of the dullest endings I have seen at a Queen's game, and all the more so when compared with such a lively opening 45 minutes. So where do Queen's go from this? Salvaging anything from this wreckage of a season will be a massive task, but it could well be that Kenny Brannigan's future at the club depends on it. Stirling Albion: Myles Hogarth, Paul Hay, Derek Anderson, Mark McNally, George Rowe, Andy Smith ( Chris Scotland 88 ), Dougie Wilson, Craig Ferguson ( Gary Kelly 59 ), Scott McLean ( Ross Beveridge 90 ), Barry Elliot, David O'Brien. Substitutes not used: Chris Geddes, Scott Morrison. Booked: Smith, Elliot, McNally. Goals: George Rowe 52, David O'Brien 61, Gary Kelly 74. Queen's Park: Derek Scrimgour, Ross Clark, John Thompson, Steven Fallon, Damiano Agostini, Steven Moffat ( Danny Ferry 59 ), Steven Reilly, Jonny Whelan, Stuart Kettlewell, Ally Graham ( Derek Carcary 84 ), Stephen McAuley ( Frankie Carroll 68 ). Substitutes not used: Paddy Gallagher, David Crawford. Booked: Thompson, Reilly. Goal: Stephen McAuley 5. Referee: Martin Sproule. Attendance: 617. Player Ratings: Scrimgour 7, Clark 6, Thompson 6, Fallon 6, Agostini 7, Moffat 7 (Ferry 6), Reilly 6, Whelan 6, Kettlewell 7, Graham 6 (Carcary 6), McAuley 6 (Carroll 6) Man of the Match: Stuart Kettlewell Match Rating: ** |