Close, But No Cigar!
Trouten (qpfc.com)
By The Spider
September 1 2004
Tuesday, 31st August, 2004 Forfar Athletic 1 Queen’s Park 1 (2-2 a.e.t.) (Forfar win 4-3 on penalties) Bells Challenge Cup – 2nd Round (picture by qpfc.com) Ally Graham was first a saint, and then a sinner, as his last minute extra time equaliser gave Queen's false hope.
New coach Billy
Stark will have learned a lot about his players’ strength of character during the
last few days, and it should be said now that finishing in the top half of the league this
season is most definitely a realistic target to aim for. Whether Queen’s have the
firepower up front to challenge for promotion is debatable, but hopefully the overall
standard of play will be more entertaining than much of what was endured during the reign
of his predecessor.
The starting line
up was as widely predicted with Damiano Agostini and Martin Bonnar coming in for the
suspended Gavin Rushford & Ross
Forfar started
brightly and King sliced wide from long range in the very first minute as the home side
looked to take an early lead. Stuart Kettlewell had Queen’s first opportunity when he
sent a header narrowly wide from long range McCallum free kick three minutes later.
However Forfar made
the breakthrough they were looking for just a minute later when Mark Booth netted from point blank range from a cut back from Stein with
Stevie Reilly again badly at fault for allowing the cross to come over in the first place.
McLune was booked
for deliberate hand-ball in the 8th minute, and then Brian Blair sent a low
drive narrowly past. Queen’s equalised in the 19th minute with the home
‘keeper looking badly at fault by dropping a high ball onto the head of Frankie
Carroll who reacted quickly to gleefully smack the ball
into the empty net.
Encouraged by this,
Queen’s enjoyed a good spell of dominance as Forfar looked rattled, and Alan Trouten
sliced narrowly wide from close range.
Forrest headed wide
from a corner before Shaun Molloy saw his 35 yard effort saved at second attempt by Brown.
Tosh should have
regained the lead for Forfar in the 34th minute, but he took a fresh air swipe
right in front of goal before hooking his second effort wide. A minute later the lively
Alan Trouten fed off Frankie Carroll only to pull another shot narrowly wide.
Stein sliced wide
from well out before being deservedly booked for crude challenge from behind on Frankie
Carroll right on the touchline in front of the main stand.
Just before half
time some great wing play from Alan Trouten ended with his low cross nearly being
deflected in by former Spider David King, but Brown instinctively raised his hands to
divert the ball for a corner
Shortly after the
interval an Ally Graham header from a corner hit the top of the Forfar crossbar on its way
over, before Brian Blair again came close when he hit the side netting with a shot on the
turn
Right on the hour
mark McLune shot narrowly wide after an indirect free kick had been touched to him, and
then David Crawford made a good save from a low Tosh shot across the face of his goal.
Frankie Carroll
forced his way between two defenders in the 73rd minute, but Brown was able to
punch away the striker’s fiercely struck drive.
A minute later,
Tosh sent a low drive wide before Frankie Carroll was quickly onto a long clearance from
Sinclair, but his left foot first timer over Brown went inches past the far post. Forfar
were piling on the pressure as Queen’s began to tire badly, and a Lunan drive came
back off base of Crawford’s right hand post although the Queen’s ‘keeper
may have got a touch first.
Brian Blair then
pulled a low shot wide before a McLune shot on the turn went inches wide, and then David
Crawford made a partial save from Tosh with Shaun Molloy coming to his rescue by booting
the ball clear before it could cross the line.
So, like the
previous tie two years ago, it was into extra time. Bryan Felvus had a half chance for
Queen’s but he sliced wide from close range. It was a costly miss as Forfar regained
the lead in the 100th minute when Paul Tosh side-footed the ball home from close range from Rattray cross.
A minute later
Shaun Molloy was booked for a late challenge on McLune, and soon afterwards he was joined
by Ally Graham and then by Brian Blair who were both cautioned by the dreadfully
inconsistent Alan Freeman for talking out of turn.
Ally Graham sent a
left foot shot over the bar after chesting ball down for himself, and the Frankie Carroll
headed wide of the near post. Queen’s were now throwing caution to the winds, and
only some great defending and some wayward Forfar passes prevented the home side from
putting the tie beyond doubt.
With two minutes
remaining, a
And so, again,
Queen’s were involved in another penalty shoot-out.
Stuart Kettlewell
saw the first effort saved low to the ‘keeper’s right by Brown, and this was
followed by conversions from Tosh, Alan Trouten, McLune, Brian Blair, Forrest, David
McCallum & Booth before Ally Graham send the ball out of the ground and Queen’s
out of the Challenge Cup. It was a strange penalty to say the least as the big man hit it
with his right foot, instead of his favoured left, and the angle at which he was leaning
back suggested that this was not a natural way for him to take it. It would all have been
academic anyway had Forfar gone on to score with their final kick.
This Saturday Queen’s
face an equally stern test at Ochilview against a Stenhousemuir side who have been scoring
for fun since the opening day encounter at the end of July. However, whilst Harvey and now
Reilly may be doubtful through injury, the return of Clark and Rushford should negate
those losses to give Queen’s every confidence of being able to take something from
the game.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 3/5
STAR SPIDER(S) : Alan Trouten (made several great runs down the right flank)
QUEEN’S PARK : David Crawford, Alan Trouten, David McCallum, Damiano Agostini, Stevie Reilly (Richard Sinclair – 50), Shaun Molloy, Martin Bonnar (Bryan Felvus – 77), Stuart Kettlewell, Ally Graham, Frankie Carroll, Brian Blair
Subs (not used) : Stevie McGovern (G/K), David Weatherston, Tony Quinn
Scorer(s) : Carroll (19), Graham (119)
Booked : Molloy (101 – late challenge), Graham (106 – dissent), Blair (108 – dissent)
FORFAR ATHLETIC : Michael Brown, Alan Rattray, David Lowing, Eddie Forrest, David King, David McLune, Mark Booth, Paul Lunan, Paul Tosh, Mathu King (Neil Clark – 73), Jay Stein (Martin Maher – 84)
Subs (not used) : Neal Ferrie (G/K), David Dunn, Dougie Cameron
Scorer(s) :
Booth (5), Tosh (100)
Booked : McLune (8- deliberate hand-ball), Stein (39 – tackle from behind)
REFEREE : Alan Freeland * (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)