Still Struggling At Home

Graham (qpfc.com)
By The Spider
October 6 2003

Saturday, 4th October, 2003 Queen's Park 0 Peterhead 2 (Bells Scottish League - Third Division)

It is a measure of how well Queen's have done so far this season when you look at the players who were not in Kenny Brannigan's squad for this game, and surely Spiders' fans have a lot to look forward to when Damiano Agostini, Frankie Carroll, Stuart Kettlewell, Tony Quinn and Stephen Moffat are all available for selection again.

Ally Graham was a major doubt before kick-off with a groin injury and, although he was able to start the game, like last Saturday against East Stirlingshire he didn't look at all comfortable and it wasn't the biggest surprise in the world when he came off after half an hour's play. Hopefully it's nothing too serious and the two week's rest will allow the strain to heal.

There was plenty of incentive for Queen's to win this game as victory would have seen them move up to 3rd place and established them as serious promotion challengers. However, as the game against Stirling Albion demonstrated, Queen's need to be able to field their strongest side if they are to stand a realistic chance of winning against the other candidates, and this clash against Peterhead proved to be just too much for them after Graham's departure after half an hour.

The Spiders started well though and could have taken the lead in the 6th minute when a delightful chip from Paul Harvey found Stevie McAuley at the near post, but the striker's first time flick narrowly evaded the far post. A minute later and McAuley went on a great solo run inside the Peterhead penalty area which culminated in him firing a low shot across Mathers which again went agonisingly close to the 'keeper's far post.

Peterhead had shown nothing up to this point but managed to score in their first real attack in the 10th minute. Bavidge cut in from the left wing before laying the ball back into the path of Gavin Beith whose first time left foot shot from 20 yards fairly rifled past Derek Scrimgour on it's way to the postage stamp corner. A couple of minutes later the same player was on target again, but this time Scrimgour dived to his left to save the firmly struck low drive.

Having failed to heed referee Boyle's warning, Stevie Reilly committed his second foul in quick succession and became the first player of the afternoon to be shown a yellow card. Undaunted by this, the midfielder showed good awareness in the 23rd minute to flight a quick free kick to Ally Graham and, although the big striker's first touch took him wide of Mathers, he was unable to reach the ball in sufficient time to leave himself an angle for a shot at goal and was forced to play the ball out the area again by which time the chance was lost.

Paul Harvey curled a weak free kick wide in the 37th minute but, that apart, there was little to enthuse over and it looked as if Queen's would go in at half time a goal down. However, Peterhead had other ideas and substitute Stewart should have done better than shoot past from a Mackay header. Then, right on the stroke of half time, a deep left wing corner found the towering figure of Mark Perry at the back post and the centre half headed strongly into the roof of the net from close range. Whilst Jonny Whelan is doing his utmost to fill the void caused by Agostini's absence, it is asking too much of him to win every defensive header, especially when the situation is exacerbated by Moffat's absence too.

This left Queen's with a mountain to climb and, on the basis of a lacklustre first half performance, few if any of the low attendance could have foreseen a Spiders' comeback. And yet, although they failed to breach the visitor's rearguard, there was much to be pleased about as they produced some first class passing movements which left Peterhead chasing shadows for long periods.

Initially Peterhead had the upper hand and Stewart sliced wide before Scrimgour saved a low shot from Bavidge with his foot when he looked to be going the wrong way. Immediately Queen's broke away to the other end and Paul Harvey should have done better than to fire a low shot off Mather's legs from close range after Derek Carcary had cut the ball back for him.

Another breakaway saw Queen's have an extra man's advantage but a poor pass from Harvey forced McAuley to turn back when a pass in front of him would have sent him clear. Nonetheless, McAuley returned the ball to Harvey who quickly played it to his right from where Carcary shot to bring out a stop from Mathers.

Stevie Fallon shot over from long range in the 54th minute and, two minutes later, a David McCallum cross was met on the run by Ross Clark whose impeccable first touch allowed him a quick shot towards the advancing Mathers who did well to block the ball at close range. As Queen's kept up the pressure, Stevie McAuley shot well wide from a decent position before Ross Clark was booked in the 67th minute for a late challenge. The same player shot over from a direct free kick in the 72nd minute before finding himself chopped down from behind seven minutes after that by Beith who was lucky to only receive a yellow card for his misdemeanour. Stephen Canning voiced his opinion on referee Boyle's generous leniency only to receive the same punishment, as indeed did Paul Harvey for talking out of turn in the last minute.

It capped a poor afternoon for Boyle who, whilst by no means a stranger to the National Stadium, looked nervous on his first visit as a referee and who seemed determined to rule the game from his text book rather than with any modicum of common sense as amply demonstrated immediately after half time when he refused to allow the game to restart until both team's coaching staff were behind the wall of the technical area!

So, a bit of a setback for Queen's who have now lost momentum at a time they could have used it most with visits to Stranraer and Elgin looming. However, with next week being a blank Saturday for League football, hopefully some of Kenny Brannigan's walking wounded can regain sufficient fitness to allow him the luxury of being able to field something approaching his strongest line up, whatever that may be.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 3/5

STAR SPIDER : Stevie Reilly (kept trying to find a way through a tight defence)

QUEEN’S PARK : Derek Scrimgour, Stephen Canning, David McCallum (John Thomson - 63), Paul Harvey, Richard Sinclair, Stevie Fallon, Ross Clark, Stevie Reilly, Ally Graham (Derek Carcary - 31), Jonny Whelan, Stevie McAuley

Subs (not used) : Brian McCue (GK), Danny Ferry, Paddy Gallagher

Scorer(s) : none

Booked : Reilly (16 - repetitive fouling), Clark (62 - late challenge), Canning (79 - dissent), Harvey (89 - dissent)

PETERHEAD : Paul Mathers, Daryn Smith, Shaun McSkimming, Robbie Raeside, Mark Perry, Kevin Bain (Keiran McGuinness - 71), Stuart Mackay, Iain Stewart (Martin Johnston - 52), Gavin Beith, Martin Bavidge, Iain Goode (Graeme Stewart - 34)

Subs (not used) : John Farquhar (G/K), Duncan Stewart

Scorer(s) : Beith (10 mins), Perry (45 mins)

Booked : Beith (79 - dangerous challenge)

REFEREE :  Chris Boyle * (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)