Lucky, Lucky Spiders!

they all count!
By The Spider
May 4 2003

Saturday, 3rd May, 2003 Queen's Park 1 Montrose 1 (Bells Scottish League - Third Division)

This was very much an end of season game with little at stake for either side, and boy did it show. Queen's, with youngster Ross Conlin making his debut in place of the suspended Stevie Fallon and Craig Taggart playing his first game since October, got off to the worst possible of starts in the 4th minute when Richard Sinclair took a bad first touch when receiving a pass, and then was weak in the challenge for the 50/50 ball which allowed Grant Johnston to stride on and neatly side-foot the ball beyond Mark Cairns and into the keeper's bottom left hand corner.

After this early wake up call, there was an expectancy that Queen's would raise their game accordingly, but with both David McCallum and Craig Taggart looking well off the (half) pace of the game, their was no-one in the Queen's midfield to dictate play and Montrose were able to stroll around at will.

Indeed, it took until the 25th minute for Queen's to even mount an attack and even Stephen Canning's through ball to David McCallum ran through harmlessly to 'keeper McGlynn.

However, there was equally no further threat from Montrose at this stage either so it was something of a pleasant surprise when John Gemmell showed a degree of effort, skill and urgency to wriggle free of three defenders before cracking in a low shot from 35 yards which sent McGlynn diving full length to his right to push the ball away for a corner.

A couple of minutes later, Stephen Canning fired well over from long range but it was Montrose who had the final chances of the first half, those coming firstly in the 42nd minute when a header from Thomson trundled narrowly past before, two minutes later, Mark Cairns did well to save a powerful low shot from McQuillan.

Clearly as unimpressed as the supporters with what he had seen, Kenny Brannnigan hauled off Richard Sinclair and David Menelaws during the interval and replaced them with the skinhead twins, Jamie White and Willie Martin.

Initially, their was an increased flurry of activity which lasted 10 minutes or so but, a sliced Craig Taggart shot apart, Queen's failed to cause the visiting defence any problems although Christie did earn himself a deserved booking in the 57th minute for a crude challenge from behind on Willie Martin.

With Queen's having failed to make an early breakthrough, the game quickly settled back down to the pattern of the first half but with Montrose looking a tad more adventurous.  A long range effort from Ferguson sailed well over the bar before a Kerrigan header came much closer on its way over. Thomson also tried his luck with the same outcome, and all Queen's could offer was a header across goal from Jonny Whelan in the 67th minute was nearly prodded into his own net by a retreating defender. Indeed, it was beginning to look as if it was going to require some divine intervention, otherwise it was just going to be one of those days that Queen's wouldn't be able to put the ball into the net.

In the 72nd minute, and not before time it has to be said, the virtually anonymous Craig Taggart was finally replaced by Paddy Gallagher who, whatever his other shortcomings, can never be accused of any lack of effort, something that at this level should at least be taken for granted but sadly all too often isn't. Anyway, a minute later the aforementioned Paddy Gallacher took his first touch of the game to control a pass and his second to shoot for goal. Albeit that this website had already chosen Willie Martin's cup goal at Coatbridge as their favourite goal of the season, there was never any possibility that this strike was going to be a contender as it was more akin to a passback than anything else. However, if you don't buy a ticket you can't expect to win (as Big Ron would say), and for once fortune favoured the Spiders as the diminutive midfielder's shot deflected off a defender to leave McGlynn hopelessly wrongfooted as the ball rolled into the left hand corner of his net.

Could Queen's mount a late challenge to avoid Kenny Brannigan (if given an extended contract!) having to go into next season still looking for his first Hampden win? Sadly not, and it was the visitors who began to bare their teeth in the closing stages with Kerrigan particularly threatening. Firstly the experienced striker fired in a sizzler in the 77th minute which fizzed inches over the bar, and then 10 minutes later he did get one on target from long range but Cairns was well positioned to save.

Queen's did make a token effort in the last minute when John Gemmell should have got onto the end of a Paddy Gallagher right wing cross, but Jonny Whelan's near post dive for the ball appeared to put the young striker off as much as it did the nearby defenders. Then, seconds before the final whistle, David McCallum fired in a powerful right shot from 30 yards, but McGlynn held it comfortably to ensure that the points would be shared and that Montrose would maintain their single point advantage over Queen's in the league table..

Finally, as far as this game is concerned, a mention of referee Dougie Smith for whom this was his final game in such a capacity. To this onlooker it appeared that, safe in the knowledge that no reprimand could follow, Mr. Smith was almost making the rules up as he went along (one example being when he stopped play for an injury only to award a free kick instead of a drop ball) and one can only hope that there are better officials coming through the ranks to replace him. It would indeed be a despairing thought if the standard of refereeing next season was to be worse than this one!

Next week The Spiders make their way through to New Bayview to play their final game of the season , the outcome of which will determine whether East Fife finish the season as champions, runners-up, or worse. The key to this match could well be the ability of Queen's to play a high tempo game to keep their opponents constantly on the back foot and to give them little time in defence to play any sort of quality high balls to their front players. With Jonny Whelan suspended, KB could well be tempted to fill the team with runners and the inclusion of Ross Clark, Stuart Kettlewell and Willie Martin would certainly ensure that travelling fans get to see a far less lethargic performance than was the case yesterday. Hope too to see Jamie White return to the heart of the defence where his no nonsense style certainly won't win him many admirers amongst home fans.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 2/5           STAR SPIDER : Danny Ferry (kept driving his team-mates on)

QUEEN’S PARK : Mark Cairns, Danny Ferry, David McCallum, Richard Sinclair (Jamie White - 46), Damiano Agostini, Ross Conlin, Stephen Canning, Jonny Whelan, John Gemmell, Craig Taggart (Paddy Gallagher - 72), David Menelaws (Willie Martin - 46)

Subs (not used) : Tony Mitchell (GK), Allan Dunning

Scorer(s) : Gallagher (73 mins)

Booked : none

MONTROSE : Gary McGlynn, Barry Donnachie, Stuart Ferguson, Keith Gibson, Graeme Christie, John McQuillan, Kevin Webster (Graeme Sharp - 82), Grant Johnston, Steve Kerrigan, Robbie Henderson (Ralph Brand - 82), Graeme Thomson

Subs (not used) : Michael Hankinson (GK), Frank Conway, Alan Budd

Scorer(s) : Johnston (4 mins)

Booked : Christie (57 - tackle from behind)

REFEREE : Dougie Smith ** (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)