Scottish League Division 3
	Elgin City	0
	Queen's Park	3
	Ferry, Weatherston, Cairney
Saturday, February 24, 2007

HANDS up if you remember the last trip to Borough Briggs. Sinclair and Ferry sent off, but we still came home with three points. A repeat of the result was required today, preferably without any of the accompanying dramas.
Just for once, there was little drama about Billy Stark's team selection. The XI who did the business so convincingly against Dumbarton got the nod again, but this was always going to be a different sort of test.
This would require battlers willing to put their bodies where it hurt, and then guile to unlock the door. Fortunately, we had both in abundance.
The early stages were much as you would expect when a team hoping to secure at least a spot in the play-offs makes a long trip to meet an improving side at the wrong end of the table.
Most of the action was in the middle of the park; chances were few and far between - and any that were crafted were just as quickly spurned.
After the initial skirmishes, Queen's started to gain the upper hand, and an early goal would have settled the nerves nicely. It didn't arrive, meaning the first 45 was largely a war of attrition.
It could have been different if referee Mackay had pointed to the spot when Kettlewell was blocked on a surging run into the box after 10 minutes.
Sadly for the vociferous visiting hordes, he saw nothing wrong with the challenge, and we had to start again.
At least we were warming to the task, and produced a gem of a move after 16 minutes. Weatherston's final ball to Ferry was perfection, but the midfielder couldn't find a way past keeper Renton.
Any team that Martin Johnston plays for poses a goal threat, and the striker has made a nasty habit out of scoring against Queen's. He had to be well watched today - and he was. Agostini and Dunlop would not have been many people's first choice of central defensicve partnerships, but since being thrown together, they have snuffed out some of the more potent strikeforces in this league, and they were at their rugged best again today.
Their presence meant Queen's midfield could attack more freely, a fact not wasted on Trouten and Ferry in particular.
On three occasions towards the end of the first period, Trouten got free down the right and put in telling crosses. Sadly, on every occasion, either a defender's foot, or a goalkeeper's hand denied us the breakthrough.
Naturally, when Queen's were this far on top we had to give ourselves the occasional scare. The biggest fright in the first period came when MacKay delivered a telling free-kick into the box, but fortunately for us, Charlesworth could only find the side net.
Two minutes form the interval we carved out another good opening with Mark Ferry's delightful cut-back. Sadly, Dunlop's header lacked the power to beat Renton.
All square at the break then, but Queen's were well ahead on points. However, you don't need Gulliver to tell you that we've got a nasty habit of falling victim to sucker punches in such circumstances.
It was important we didn't do that today, and truth be told, there was seldom any real danger of that.
In fact, the longer it went on, the biggest threat was that we wouldn't find a way to goal.
For the first 15 minutes, precious little happened. And then it all changed within a matter of minutes. Good managers make switches that change events. Lucky managers make changes, and things happen at the same time. There was a bit of both about Billy Stark today.
On the hour mark he replaced Robert Dunn, who had put in a decent shift without getting far, with big Paul Ronald, and within 22 seconds, Queen's were ahead.
I'm sure Billy Stark would love to claim it was an inspired substitution, but the big man never touched the ball before it was in the net.Ferry's shot was not the most powerful, and it might even have taken a wee deflection on its way, but it found the back of the net and that was all that mattered.
Who cares? We were ahead, and we never looked back.
Just a couple of minutes later, it was two. And if the first goal was scrappy, this was a wee cracker.
Trouten poured forward leaving a trail of defenders in his wake. He then laid the ball on a plate for Weatherston to run onto. The striker gleefully accepted and slotted it home with applomb.
Queen's were now in cruise control and the boss took advantage by giving Weatherston and Trouten a rest and replacing them with Frankie Carroll and Tony Quinn.
The last third of the game passed without major incident for the most part.
Queen's created half chances, but couldn't take any of them; Elgin created precious little and looked like converting even less.
Cue the customary late scare. Queen's went to sleep with five minutes left and Crawford had to be at his very best to beat Docherty's effort over the top.
That gave Queen's the kick up the backside they needed to go forward again, and they got their reward in injury time.
Quinn had a go, as did Ferry, and then wee Paul Cairney got a hold of the ball. He waltzed past the stranded keeper and knocked the ball into the net. It was no more than he deserved for another non-stop performance. And the 3-0 scoreline was no more than Queen's deserved for another display that is just beginning to give the title challenge a semblance of credibility.
Sure teams have games in hand, but we've got points in the bag. And Gulliver is not the first to say that points make prizes!
Keep the faith.