Super sub sinks Berwick
Queen's Park 2 Berwick Rangers 0
Queen's Park - P. Hamilton, Walker, Douglas, Sinclair, Little, Capuano, McBride, Hamilton, Carroll, T. Quinn, R. Holms. Subs: McGinn, Dunlop, Murray, Daly, Black (GK). |
It's been a long time and we're more than halfway through January before we can welcome our First Foots to Hampden Park.
Our games this season against Berwick Rangers have been close, a 1-0 defeat and a 1-1 draw, both down at Shielfield. We were poor in the first and should have won the second and if we have pretensions of making the play-offs then we have to beat the teams above us, and especially at home.
We'll face Berwick today without Paul Quinn. The striker's loan spell has ended and he has returned to St Mirren (although he was in the stand today).
Ricky Little plays his last loan game today and talks are ongoing with Partick Thistle to see if that can be extended to the end of the season. Jamie Brough failed a fitness test and missed the Berwick game with a knee injury. Robert Walker came in at right back and Richard Sinclair and Little anchored the back four with Barry Douglas.
But we could soon be seeing our long-term absentees making a comeback - and that will be like having new players. Chuckie Watt is closest to a return after taking part in the winter training camp in Portugal. And Paul Harkins and Martin Ure are both back in training while Zander Cowie is also doing well in his rehabilitation.
Queen's lived dangerously in the opening 10 minutes against Berwick and let's hope it was just them shaking off the cobwebs.
Berwick threatened first and Russell had a fine shot which zipped just over the bar and then Tony Quinn did well to block from Currie.
A forced Holms corner was all Queen's had to show, but they changed that with the best move of the match so far in 14 minutes.
Holms wandered in from the left, evading three tackles, and laid it off for the advancing Capuano. He made ground through the middle before releasing Hamilton on the right and his cross was knocked off the toes of McBride as the in-form Spider prepared to pull the trigger.
Better from Queen's and they were at it again three minutes later. Hamilton chested down Douglas's through ball and from the edge of the box Carroll just failed to connect properly with a shot that went wide.
But those were isolated moments of cohesion from either side in the first 25 minutes. The rest of the time was taken up in midfield sparring and poor final balls and no saves for either keeper.
That should all have changed in 27 minutes when Queen's had a great chance to take the lead. McBride evaded a tackle in midfield and burst clear. He played in Hamilton, coming off his wing, and the wee man burst into the box, drew keeper Peat, but fired well wide of the far post.
The first real chance goes abegging.
Spiders keeper Hamilton had so far only had to be alert to a Capuano deflection that almost put Radzynski in but he had a save to make from Currie in 34 minutes, helped by a Capuano block. Queen's gradually were looking more assured and they carved out another opening for Hamilton in 38 minutes. Douglas started the move with a delightful change of feet to evade two Berwick players and Carroll took his pass and played in Hamilton for a shot that was blocked for a corner. Homer would not want to get your hopes up, dear reader, but the signs so far were becoming positive. Hamilton was involved as Queen's again threatened, taking McBride's clipped pass before firing a cross to the far post which Holms rose to head down and wide.
Who was it who said - many times in 2009 - that we had to make the chances pay? Who among us didn't say it?
Half-time: Queen's Park 0 Berwick 0
Queen's picked up where they had left off. Douglas took his throw-in back from Quinn and his pinpoint outswinging cross only just eluded the head of Hamilton.
But it was the other Hamilton, keeper Peter, Queen's had to thank for keeping the scores level after 53 minutes. McLaren and Currie combined to cut through the home defence and Hamilton made a brave save at the feet of Currie to deny a certain goal.
That was a warning for Queen's after what was a subdued first half from Berwick. The visitors were certainly looking livelier now.
Queen's, though, continued to play it on the deck, with Hamilton and McBride combining well down the right and Quinn only just failing to reach the cross.
But Queen's finally went ahead in 63 minutes with a goal they deserved on the run of play.
Holms won a corner on the left with a cute back-heel off a defender. Hamilton took the kick and top scorer Douglas got the softest of touches with his head to guide the inswinging kick in off the far post. That should settle Queen's and they went close again two minutes later when Holms headed over.
That was the winger's last touch as he was replaced by David Murray, whose last appearance from the bench produced a delightful goal. Give us a repeat, son.
Berwick sent on McMenamin for Greenhill in 73 and Queen's should have greeted his arrival with a second goal.
The busy Hamilton did well to harry and then dispossess Ewart midway inside the Berwick half. The wee man pushed forward into the space, drew two defenders and slipped in McBride on the right, but the midfield man slipped as he shot and the ball sailed wide.
Keeper Hamilton saw his first action of the half with a save low down from Currie and then the hard-working Carroll went off to be replaced by Mike Daly.
Notman became the first booking, for a foul on Capuano in 79, then McBride was booked for tripping McMenamin.
Berwick sent on Guy for Russell in 86 and the unfortunate No 13's first touch set up a second goal for the Spiders.
Guy misguided a header behind his own goal. Hamilton played the corner short to Douglas, took the return and whipped it over to the far post. Tony Quinn rose to cushion a lovely little header down to the feet of Murray, who spun on the proverbial sixpence (2.5p to any youngsters) before firing the ball high into the net.
Supersub indeed!
So a fine win for Queen's and you had to say we looked like the team who were third top of the league. Here's hoping.
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See you all
|
SFL Div 3 |
P |
Pts |
| Livingston | 36 | 78 |
| Forfar Athletic | 36 | 63 |
| East Stirling | 36 | 61 |
| QUEEN'S PARK | 36 | 51 |
| Albion Rovers | 36 | 50 |
| Berwick Rangers | 36 | 50 |
| Stranraer | 36 | 47 |
| Annan Athletic | 36 | 43 |
| Elgin City | 36 | 34 |
| Montrose | 36 | 24 |