So how have you been? Not too hot for you? Good. It was a joy for Homer and Gulliver to see so many healthy-looking specimens in the social club pre-match - and so much flesh, too.
Of course, we do have notable absentees in Ross Clark, who has swapped the Spiders for the Wasps of Alloa, and Paul Harvey, who has finally succumbed to the ravages of time that catch every gnarled veteran, and retired of a Saturday to the slippers, the cardigan and the pipe; or, more likely, Asda. We have new signings in Paul Ronald, Robert Dunn and Michael Keenan - and a most welcome return for Frankie Carroll - a snazzy new kit from Joma - at first glance Homer approves - some crazy new hairstyles, and the added incentive that no one gives us a second glance when it comes to looking for Third Division title contenders. The bookies fancy us so much, we only have East Stirling and Albion Rovers below us in the betting. But we know better, don't we? We were fourth for most of last season without sustaining our best form, and we beat all of the title contenders. We're a year older, more wiser, more experienced, more together; let's just hope the team are, too. And what a glorious day to start! Warm, but little sun, and Bobby Dickson in shorts. And us trying to attract women and children, too. And what a fixture to start - last season's play-off rivals Arbroath. Our 1-0 defeat on our last visit to Gayfield summed up our season; we played them off the park on April Fools Day and the joke was on us. Apart from Frankie up front with Weatherston, it was pretty much the usual suspects today. With Reilly and Paton banned, Ronald not in the squad and Dunn on the bench, it was left to the not-so-old guard (with an average age dramatically reduced by Harv''s retirement) to get the job done. And it was going to be a long hot day, if the first half efforts were anything to go by. We had plenty of possession, but lacked a creative spark, and Gulliver was unhappy we didnt expose their lack of pace at the back. Ín five minutes Weatherston had shown how effective he could be one on one with Raeside, skinning the former Peterhead veteran - as you'd expect - but his attempted cut back for Carroll was cut out by Bishop. Ferry shot wide after a Carroll lay-off and it wasn't until the 10th minute that Crawford was called into action, taking a high ball under pressure from that well known nuisance Willie Martin, late of these parts. Willie was his usual self. He was booked in 17 minutes for a foul on Trouten, having just a couple of minutes earlier downed Kettlewell. I remember Willie being sent off against us in a previous incarnation, for Elgin; he was always 100% committed, was Willie. The best move of the match so far came from Queen's in 29 minutes, a four-man passing move through Kettlewell and Carroll and the lay-off in the box to Trouten, before his cut back to Weatherston was blocked. More like it; quick and slick. A minute later Carroll blasted over from wide out after Ferry's tackle had knocked the ball loose from Rennie, and when Weatherston was pulled down on the edge of the box we were looking for Harv but got Mick Dunlop, whose free kick found only the wall. Arbroath were forced into a change when Scott replaced Smith and, but for Crawford, the sub could have scored with his first touch. Raeside played a good ball straight through the middle, Martin helped it on and Scott ran clear of the defence only to have his right foot shot turned round a post by the flailing left leg of the outrushing Crawford. It was a warning to Queen's, and one they didn't heed. Right on half-time, Arbroath went through the middle again and this time they scored. Again Scott was involved, playing in Sellars, who ran clear of the defence into the box before planting a right foot shot low into Crawford's right hand corner. Sellars was booked for pulling his shirt over his head; a similar reaction from Homer went unpunished. Believe me, the half-time score was punishment enough. Half-time: Queen's Park 0, Arbroath 1. The general consensus over tea was that the goal came against the run of play but that Queen's had created not a lot, the final pass was shocking, and there was little support for the front pair. Weatherston got more joy when he went wide, as he did in the 53rd minute, beating Black to the byline on the left but seeing his attempted cut-back to Ferry booted clear. Ferry was booked for taking down Scott in 55 minutes, and then both sides made quick changes when Bowers replaced Canning and Abroath sent on Brazil for Martin. Bowers' first involvement was a one-two wide right with Weatherston, but the sub's attempted cross went harmlessly along the line to the keeper. We were about to get our first look at new boy Robert Dunn, when he replaced Frankie in 65 minutes. He's not much taller then Frankie, but he did enough to upset Raeside as they jumped for Crawford's kick-out and the ball went through to Bowers. His fellow-sub controlled it and turned to find Weatherston coming in from the right, and he turned inside the full back and had a left-foot shot comfortably saved by Peat, who was no doubt thankful for the action. There were penalty claims from Queen's in 69 minutes. Weatherston created the chance coming in from the right, and when his low cross ran along the six yard line Bowers went down under pressure from the dominant Bishop.Referee Collum ignored the appeals and the rolls Bowers was performing for his benefit. Well, I did say it was going to be a long hot day, did I not? Well, it got hotter and longer as Arbroath went 2-0 up in 74 minutes with another break straight through the middle. This time it was a simple hack out of defence, picked up in the inside right position by sub Scott, who had been causing problems with his movement and his pace. Anyway, he was in splendid isolation as he put his head down, drove into the box, and planted a right foot shot low under the diving Craword; simple; simply awful defending - and the rest wasn't much better. And it got worse eight minutes from time with a comical third goal. Stein to Brazil on the left, he was allowed to get in a cross, Crawford rushed out from his near post - and the ball bypassed him. Scott was again all on his own as the ball found him six yards out in front of an empty goal and he sidefooted the third. JK Rowling couldn''t make it up. It should have been four two minutes later. Sinclair, under pressure from the now impressive Scott, allowed a ball to go over his head and Scott was onto it in a flash. He moved in front of Sinclair and blasted in a left foot shot which crashed against the underside of the bar when it looked easier to score.Well, easier for Arbroath, anyway. 35 more afternoons to go. Gulliver says it can only get better.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
.gif)