Scottish League Division 3
	Queen's Park	1
	Ferry
	Stenhousemuir	1
	Diack
Saturday, November 25, 2006

Heady days indeed. Six games unbeaten, five wins on the bounce in the league and unlucky to be held 1-1 by Second Division Brechin in the Scottish Cup at Glebe Park.
We're second top, just a point behind East Fife if we win our game in hand, and we'll be meeting them and three of our other main challengers before the turn of the year.
Today it's Stenny, just a point behind us, so it's another crucial game. We were unlucky to lose 2-1 at their place in September, and since then they have had mixed fortunes, but they always give us a good game.
Billy Stark was able to name an unchanged team from Brechin, for the fifth game in a row, and there is no doubt that continuity nhas played a major part in the QP success.
The lights were on at kick-off as Stenny were first to show. Young David Templeton has been talked about as a future star for a couple of seasons now, and he certainly gave Queen's problems early on.
The marking left much to be desired when he was allowed to go straight through on right, and his low cut back was hammered into the side netting by Hutchison.
Paton had a free kick diverted over bar as Queen's responded, and we had an excellent training ground move from the flag kick. Ferry stepped over the ball at the edge of the box and Reilly shot. It wasn't the best effort he's ever had, but the ball went straight to Weatherston six yardsd out be he failed to control it.
We all know about Weatherston's pace. So do Stenny, but being aware of it and being able to negate it are two entirely different concepts. His running was impressive, and he was getting behind the Stenny defence.
One run led to a Kettlewell shot being blocked for a corner, from which Reilly had a header saved low by McCulloch.
A Paton free kick was headed wide by the diving Ronald and then the Queen's defence went to sleep again at a Stenny free kick. The ball was rolled through the defence to the unmarked Templeton, inside the box on the left, and it took an excellent save at his feet by Cairns to block his shot.
Weatherston was getting a lot of joy one on one with Dillon down the right. His final ball wasn't always the best, though, but in 20 minutes he had a delicious cross booted away for a corner.
Queen's again worked an opening from it, and Reilly hit a left foot shot narrowly wide with McCulloch flat footed.
Queen's were slowly building momentum. Quinn took a Murphy clearance on the drop and played a delightful first time low pass through to Trouten in the box, but after stepping inside a defender his second touch was heavy and the ball ran through to McCulloch.
There was a bonus for Queen's when Templeton had to go off with an injury. Stenny sub Diack spent a full three minutes shivering on the sidelines waiting to replace him, and even an attempt from hand by keeper McCulloch failed to get the ball out of play.
Trouten showed his great feet when he stepped inside a defender and had a shot blocked for a corner, but Queen's were proving dangerous from these set pieces. Weatherston had already had a shot blocked, and this time Dunlop rattled a header against the bar - a repeat of a Paul Ronald effort at Brechin last week, after which Queen's had taken the lead. Could lightning strike twice?
Certainly, we were working very hard and getting on top. Stenny were still dangerous on the break, and Paton had to be alert to clear a through ball for a corner in 38 minutes.
But the goal Queen's deserved finally came in 43 minutes, and what a lovely strike it was. Paul Ronald won a good tackle in the centre circle and, after some nice interpassing, Ferry claimed possession some 25 yards out in the inside left position and left fly with a left foot rocket that went straight through a surprised keeper McCulloch. Excellent, mand no more than our attacking play merited.
Half-time: Queen's Park 1, Stenhousemuir 0

Paton had a good run down the right almost straight from the restart, but his low cross was deflected by Dillon and Stenny were fortunate the ball went to McCulloch.
Dillon wasn't so fortunate in 52 minutes when he became the first name in the book for a foul on Trouten, who minutes later threw over a cross from the right which Ferry headed well wide.
It was a low-key restart by Queen's, and they paid the penalty when nsloppy defending gifted Stenny a soft equaliser in 57 minutes. Hutchison was unchallenged to win a header on the edge of the box, and there was a lack of urgency by Queen's as McBride chased the loose ball to the byeline. He was allowed to turn and get in his cross, and somehow Diack got between the Queen's defenders to get in a soft header which Cairns blocked but couldn't stop rolling agonisingly over the line.
Sinclair was booked in 61 minutes for a foul on Hutchison, and from the free kick Stenny should have scored. Queen's were slow to mark up as McBride chipped the kick over the retreating Hoops to the unmarked Diack. He should have scored but lost control with only Cairns to beat, and the keeper then needed two attempts to pick up Diack's attempted back heel.
Queen's were living dangerously as Stenny played three up.
In 64 minutes, Hutchison headed narrowly wide from Dillon's cross, and then Dunn replaced Quinn as Queen's attempted to steady the ship.
Weatherston's pace won him a corner on right, from which Ronald had a header blocked.
Baird was booked for a foul on Trouten and Ronald was next to get a yellow card for a foul, before he was replaced by Canning 10 minutes from the end.
Dunlop was booked in 83 minutes for handbags, which summed up the malaise into which Queen's had drifted. While the first half had been thoughtful and incisive, the second 45 had been very poor.
Paton was next in the book for retaliation as the minutes ebbed away, and then Dunlop was shown a second yellow card at the far side of the park for we know not what. It certainly wasn't for a tackle.
Two minutes from time Ferry created an opening down the left, and Dunn whipped his pass wide of the keeper's left hand post.
One more cross from Weatherston, which was cleared, and a free kick totally wasted by Paton and Trouten, and the ref blew his whistle to put us out our misery. A dreadful second half, but I suppose the saving grace is that our unbeaten run goes on.