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Honours even as Queen's keep up unbeaten run

Queen's Park 0 Annan Athletic 0

Queen's Park - Parry, McGinn, Burns, Little, Meggatt, Gallacher, Watt, McBride, Daly, Longworth, Murray. Subs - Brough Urquhart, Lachlan, Smith, Strain (GK). Annan: Summersgill, Muirhead, McGowan, Gibson, Watson, McKechnie, Sloan, Jardine, Gilfillan, Bell, Cox. Subs: MacBeth, Steele, Neilson, O'Connor, Mitchell (gk). Referee - Des Roache.

Homer will need to get that old anorak Gulliver on the case. Going into today's SPL Third Division crunch with leaders Annan Athletic, the talk was all about the last time Queen's Park had won four games on the trot and scored three goals in each.

A fine run has culminated in a week to savour after last Saturday's first victory at Stranraer in more than 10 anguished years. It was hard fought and gutsy down in Wigtownshire, a Stair way to heaven as we came back from 2-1 down and then refused to settle for the draw.
The three points launched the Spiders to third-top and today is a vital game, even so early in the season.
Annan have lost just once this season and lead Queen's by five points with a game in hand.
They have kept hold of most of the players we faced last season in our battle to reach the play-offs and in this season's opening league fixture they beat us comfortably 5-2 at Galabank despite us leading 2-0.
Queen's coach Gardner Speirs had to make do without the influential Davie Anderson for Annan's visit. The midfielder went off at Stranraer after injuring his ankle and hadn't recovered.
There was the further complication of Paul Stewart being unavailable due to work commitments, so Paul Gallacher came into the midfield as the only change from the side which finished at Stranraer.
It was a beautiful sunny winter's day, perfect for football on a lush-looking Hampden. It was an open, entertaining start and it was obvious both teams were intent on getting the ball down and trying to play their way through the opposition.
As the home team the onus was on Queen's to make the running and Summersgill was quick off his line to cover at the edge of his box and thwart Murray's run for a McBride through pass. It was early evidence that Annan were well aware of the pace threat posed by Murray on the left and Watt on the right.
Gallacher, more regularly seen at centre-half, has always liked to play the ball so the youngster looked comfortable in midfield. One nice run, on a Longworth pass, saw him deprived of a shot on goal only by a Watson sliding challenge.
Queen's had the better of the opening and should have been ahead in 11 minutes.
Watt's cross caused panic in the Annan defence. Daly just failed to get a touch and the ball ran through for Longworth, who had to delay his shot which allowed Summersgill to get across and block. The ball bobbled around in the box but neither Longworth nor Daly could get a vital touch.
Annan's best effort, meanwhile, was a Sloan run and cross which McGinn eased clear.
Longworth's nice headed flick put Watt through but his attempted cross was blocked for a corner, and then McBride's outswinging cross was headed over by Daly.
Positive play from Queen's as we passed the 15-minute mark. We were ahead on points, but we should have been a goal down in 19 minutes.
Annan had rarely threatened when Cox crossed from the left, Bell rose to head down, and McKechnie fired over the bar from 10 yards. A let-off for Spiders and confirmation, were it needed, of why Annan were top of the league.
Queen's continued to press and Burns' deep cross almost embarrassed McGowan when his attempted chest-back to Summersgill deceived the keeper and was knocked for a corner and a second flag kick in quick succession saw McBride's cross blocked.
Longworth needed treatment after taking a sore knock with a nice turn that got him kicked by Muirhead for his troubles
but McBride and Meggatt contrived to mess up the free kick.

Queen's were closing down quickly, winning the second balls and trying on restrict the space for Annan, but the good goalscoring openings had so far failed to materialise.
Annan had created their own chances and they produced another in 44 minutes, a sweeping move down the right ending with a Gilfillan cut back and Bell's hard, low goalbound shot being well cleared by McGinn.

Half-time: Queen's Park 0 Annan 0
Annan showed first after the break, Sloan's cross giving Gilfillan a difficult headed chance which flew wide.
And the visitors could have broken the deadlock in 55 minutes. Gallacher lost possession in midfield and Sloan scampered clear of the defence, drawing Parry to the edge of his box before clipping a right-foot shot low past the keeper but thankfully also past his right-hand post.
Murray had a cross blocked for a corner and then he was the meat in an Annan sandwich to win a free kick 20 yards out that McBride sent wide.
Murray was struggling to make an impact, often being double-teamed by Annan. He won a corner off Muirhead and McBride's flag kick was headed over by Gallacher.
Annan made the first change in 64 minutes, striker Sean O'Connor coming on for winger Sloan.
McGinn had a trademark run in 67, from his own half all the way into the Annan box before McGowan's last-ditch tackle halted his progress before he could shoot.
Little had to be alert to take the ball off Gilfillan's toes as O'Connor barrelled forward and the sub striker had Queen's under pressure again with a run and pass that saw Gilfillan shoot narrowly wide.
It was certainly a more open game now and Annan looked considerably more threatening than they had in the first half.
Cox worked an opening from a throw-in and Gilfillan again went close, perhaps he should have done better than shoot wide from the edge of the box with Parry off his line.
There had been little joy for Queen's in the second half but Homer was off his seat in 75 minutes. Burns whipped over a delicious cross from the left and Daly's header beat Summersgill and crept past the far post. So close.
Queen's then sent on supersub Craig Smith for Watt and Annan sent on Neilson for Gibson.
McKechnie was booked for pulling back Longworth but not for the first time a McBride free kick into their box was easy meat for the taller Annan players to defend.
McKechnie was then taken off to be replaced by Steele.
Queen's were still lively and still pushing. Daly's cross was headed out by Watson and Longworth, on the edge of the box, controlled the ball and then fired it over the bar.
McGinn was booked for dissent after Gallacher conceded a foul 18 yards out and Neilson's free kick was saved low down by Parry.
Muirhead was next in the book for a foul on Murray and then Gallacher was booked for a sliding challenge on Steele.
Annan almost stole it a minute from time when O'Connor shrugged off Meggatt into the box and drove in a low shot which the diving Parry brilliantly palmed away.
And then Queen's got the chance to do it right on the full-time whistle. Daly won a tackle in the right back slot, fed Smith, and he held off Watson on the halfway line before releasing the breaking Murray. The wee man was off with two Annan defenders in hot pursuit but he ran out of steam just as he got into the box and lost control.
In the end, Gulliver says it may be some kind of progress that we've not been at our best and still got a draw against the league leaders. Keep the faith.

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