Becoming All Too Predictable
Sinclair (qpfc.com)
By The Spider
February 23 2004
Saturday, 21st February, 2004 Stranraer 3 Queen's Park 1 (Bells Scottish League – Third Division)
Having been
defeated 5-1 and 4-1 in the preceding weeks, one forecaster half-heartedly predicted that
Queen’s would lose 3-1 on this occasion and, in all truth, that scoreline was
probably a fair reflection of the day’s play.
Indeed, Stranraer
could quite easily have been three up during a hectic opening spell when the Queen’s
defence looked slow and lethargic, and the speedy front pairing of Graham & Finlayson
caused all sorts of problems with their quick movement on and off the ball.
However, it wasn’t
until the 4th minute (after a couple of dangerous balls had somehow evaded any
Stranraer players right in front of goal) that Derek Scrimgour had his first save to make
when Aitken’s weak effort from 10 yards trickled into his hands.
Two minutes later,
a header from Graham looped just over the bar and then, at the other end, Stephen Canning’s
swerving cross was tipped over the Stranraer bar at the last moment by Condiche.
A Wright volley
from a corner skimmed the top of the bar on it’s way over in the 13th
minute, before Scrimgour saved a looping header from Aitken right on the goal-line.
Stevie Reilly shot
narrowly wide in the 14th minute before, five minutes later, David Stewart
became the first player to be booked for a tackle on Collins which was so late that it was
nearly early for the next one.
The game then
deteriorated into a dour midfield battle during the next 20 minutes and it took a Derek
Carcary shot on target to break the monotony in the 42nd minute. A minute later
and it was Stephen Canning’s turn to be shown a yellow card, again for a late tackle.
It had been a
reasonable performance from Queen’s during the first half, but their good work was
undone in the 51st minute when Lee Sharp
was allowed far too much room six yards out to receive a cut back from the right and
swivel to prod the ball home.
The game looked to
be over as a contest seven minutes later when a shot from Graham deflected kindly into the
path of Kevin Finlayson whose right foot shot
evaded the outstretched arm of Derek Scrimgour.
In the 64th
minute Collins finally received the booking that his persistent fouling demanded, and then
Queen’s got themselves right back into it a minute later when Derek Carcary got on the end of a long ball to swivel kick the ball past the
advancing Condiche.
Ally Graham’s
name then found its way into referee Downie’s notebook for a petulant trip before
Derek Scrimgour kept his side in it with a fine save from a powerful drive by Graham. The
Spiders best chance of grabbing an equaliser came in the 76th minute when Ally
Graham cleverly headed the ball down into the path of the onrushing Stephen Canning, but
the Queen’s midfielder sliced his effort when just ten yards from goal.
The game was put
beyond doubt with ten minutes remaining when Kevin Finlayson grabbed his second of the afternoon by neatly slipping the
ball under the advancing Scrimgour after the nippy forward had played a quick one-two with
Graham.
Next Saturday,
Queen’s entertain another promotion challenger in the form of Peterhead, and perhaps
a 2-1 defeat is indeed the most likely result in this diminishing sequence.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 3/5
STAR SPIDER : Derek Carcary (finally got the goal his efforts deserved)
QUEEN’S PARK : Derek Scrimgour, Danny Ferry, Ross Clark, Stevie Fallon, Richard Sinclair, David Stewart (Jonny Whelan – 61), Stephen Canning, Stevie Reilly, Ally Graham, David McCallum (Martin Bonnar – 75), Derek Carcary
Subs (not used) : David Crawford(G/K), Allan Dunning, Frankie Carroll
Scorer(s) : Carcary (65)
Booked : Stewart (22 – late tackle), Canning (51 – late tackle), Graham (71 – trip)
STRANRAER : Andrew Condiche, Stephen Swift, Fraser Wright, Derek Wingate, Murray Henderson, Allan Jenkins, Kevin Finlayson (Kevin Gaughan – 88), Steven Aitken, Lee Collins (Thomas McAllister – 79), David Graham, Lee Sharp
Subs (not used) Kenny Meechan (G/K), David Turnbull, Chris Cruickshank
Scorer(s) : Sharp (51), Finlayson (58 & 80)
Booked : Collins (64 – persistent fouling)
REFEREE : Jamie Downie *** (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)