Not worth the wait

Queen's Park - Strain, Little, Burns, Sinclair, Gallacher, McBride (Harkins), Watt, Anderson, Eaglesham (O'Hara), Quinn, Smith (Longworth). Subs - Brough, Hamilton (gk). Clyde - Hutchison, Park, McGowan, McMillan, Lithgow, Stevenson, Finlayson, McCusker, Dingwall, Sweeney, Strachan. Subs - Henderson, Gray, Stewart, Sawyers, Allan (gk).

Spiders fans could perhaps not dream up a better first home league fixture of the season than ancient rivals Clyde. It's our first league derby with the Bully Wee since the early 1990s.
For the benefit of our younger fans, who may be bemused at the tag of local derby for Glasgow v Cumbernauld, Clyde for years played just down the road at Shawfield Stadium until their departure to the land of roundabouts.
The rivalry has been somewhat diluted over the years by the lack of meetings, but title favourites Clyde brought a healthy support to Hampden despite their demise to the Third Division.
Homer was disappointed, though, not to see their famous red colours, replaced instead by an away kit of fetching purple.
And it was nice to see the return to Hampden of former Queen's favourite Kevin Finlayson, who was in his customary No7, this time for Clyde.
Queen's have had an encouraging start to the season, despite two cup defeats. Both were to higher league sides and Queen's more than held their own.
The sun greeted the old Clyde rivalry and it was Queen's who showed first. Chuckie Watt, who has impressed this early in the season with his pace and commitment, won a corner from the kick-off after driving past left back McGowan but Burns' kick was cleared.
Ex-Pollok Junior Dingwall won a free kick in a dangerous position when Gallacher tripped him 20 yards ouit directly in front of goal, but Strachan's free kick sailed harmlessly over.
Dingwall then from 20 yards fired in a shot that only just went for a bye kick at the corner flag.
Chuckie was again looking sharp and he raced past McGowan to get in a cross from tight on the byeline that keeper Hutchison took at his near post.
It was a fast and furious start, with both teams trying to get forward, and it would be important which team settled first.
The best move so far came in 20 minutes and not surprisingly it was set up by Watt. Switching wings, he neatly turned outside Park and his low cutback was fired wide first-time by Eaglesham.
Watt was certainly hogging the action and he became the first player booked, for dissent, in 23 minutes.
The action was end to end, but frantic, and Queen's were having trouble holding onto the ball for any length of time.
McBride tried to do just that in 38 and was scythed down by Lithgow, who was booked.
Queen's were still getting some joy down the right. Smith won a corner off McGowan and Burns' shot from the short corner was blocked for another corner which was cleared.
Chuckie was our best outlet and he raced clear on a McBride through ball and Hutchison had to block at the wee man's feet at the expense of a corner, which flew straight through the Clyde defence with no takers.
Hutchison came to Clyde's rescue again in 43 minutes when he fisted clear under pressure from Eaglesham as Queen's ended the half strongly.

Half-time: Queen's Park 0 Clyde 0

Kevin Finlayson almost silenced his old fans - and cheered his new ones - in the first minute of the second half, getting on the end of a cross ahead of Burns to fire a header over the top. You should have scored, Kev, but we're happy you didn't.
But a goal for Clyde was merely delayed. In 50 minutes Strachan got the better of Little down the left. His whipped in cross had keeper Strain diving to cover it under pressure from Dingwall, and the ball broke for McCusker to stroke a simple shot into the unguarded net.
Gardner Speirs immediately sent on Longworth for Smith.
Queen's were under the cosh. Gallacher conceded a free kick in another dangerous area and the wall did its job by deflecting the free kick for a corner which Lithgow reached at the near post ahead of Quinn to head narrowly over.
Longworth's first touch was a blocked shot from 20 yards. The ball rebounded for Burns, who cut inside but could get no power in his weaker right foot and keeper Hutchison saved comfortably.
McCusker had a shot blocked for a corner and then Watt, on a quick break set up by a one-two with McBride, was crowded out on the edge of the Clyde box.
Sinclair was booked as Queen's struggled to get a foothold in the game. There was no lack of effort but our passing game was sadly missing and sloppy and we were creating nothing.
It took a mistake by Hutchison to give Spiders fans something to cheer, when the keeper dropped a Burns corner only for Lithgow to hoof clear.
Hutchison redeemed himself a minute later when he deflected a Quinn header over the bar and from the corner Anderson picked up a clearance and shot well wide.
McBride, who had never looked at his best, was replaced by Harkins in 71.
A mistake by Longworth gifted Finlayson possession. He put McCusker clear but Strain made a good save to deny the striker.
And Longworth should have hit an equaliser in 79 minutes. Burns showed great tenacity to trail and then dispossess Finlayson on the Clyde byeline. His inside pass was moved on by Eaglesham to the unmarked Longworth, but from 12 yards in front of goal he shot wide.
O'Hara then replaced Eaglesham in the final Queen's change.
Hutchison had to race from his goal to boot clear from Watt as he chased a Harkins through ball and Queen's ended by forcing two corners which sadly came to nothing.
Back to the drawing board.