A Bad Defeat, But Plenty Of Cause For Optimism

deserved his goal
By The Spider
August 3 2002

Saturday, 3rd August, 2002 Queen’s Park 1 Elgin City 2 (Scottish League - Third Division)

On another day, this game could have finished 5-2 in Queen's favour but today the run of the ball just didn't go their way. The final score bears little resemblance to the pattern of play, but the bottom line is that Elgin took what few chances came their way and so all three points head back up north with them this evening.

Whilst Cowboy's youngsters will be disappointed at having put so much into a game, and then to get so little out of it, they can hold their heads up high because their play today was of the highest standard at times and won them many admirers. With the Hampden turf looking as good as it used to in old John Doc's days, there could be no excuse for playing a long ball game and, with the exception of the occasional Danny Ferry blooter, the young Spiders set out to entertain right from the start.

Indeed, it was Danny Ferry who initially led by example when he played a neat 1-2 with John Gemmell before continuing his way into the box, and the skipper only just missed reaching Gemmell's fine right wing cross.

However, it was Elgin who took the lead in the 10th minute when their first attack of the game brought them their first ever Hampden goal. All credit to former Albion Rovers forward Ryan McMullan for the way that he wriggled his way past three opponents before calmly curling the ball past Mitchell from 20 yards, but no doubt Cowboy will have had his own thoughts about how three attempted tackles still failed to halt the striker's progress.

Steven Moffat tried his luck from a direct free kick in the 13th minute but, although the ball broke high off the wall and out to the left, Jimmy Allan showed great control to quickly bring it down before sending over a great cross which was excellently defended under pressure. A minute later Tony Quinn tried an audacious left foot volley but it was always swerving away from goal from the moment it left his foot even though it initially looked to be on target.

Jimmy Allan was next to have a pot but Pirie got down comfortably to save the midfielder's direct free kick. Stuart Jack then burst towards the area at pace before firing in a dipping shot which beat Pirie all ends up but which came down just the wrong side of the bar.

In the 24th minute Steven Moffat showed great strength and composure at the back to hold off an attacker before sending Allan away on the left wing. Jimmy knocked the ball infield to Ferry, but Danny failed to spot the overlapping run from Stuart Jack on the right and he ended up being crowded out by a bunch of defenders. However, Queen's quickly regained possession as they continued to apply the pressure, and Gordon Lappin should have grabbed the equaliser when Canning sent over an inviting cross from the left, but Lappin's tentative volley edged narrowly past Pirie's left hand post when the ball was crying out to be struck with some conviction.

Just short of the half hour, Stephen Canning looked to have done it when he curled a great first time shot over Pirie, but again it slipped inches past that left hand post. Tony Quinn slung over a left foot cross from the right wing in the 36th minute and John Gemmell's glancing header looked to be sneaking in at the far post until Pirie just managed to get across his line to fingertip the ball away for a corner.

A minute later and it was Quinn's turn to go for goal when his first time shot from Jack's low right wing cross was again agonisely close to sneaking in.

By this stage, it had been non-stop Queen's pressure with Elgin having scored from their only attack of the game. However, after a series of let-offs, they took heart and began to take the game to Queen's during the last five minutes of the half.

Tony Mitchell held onto a 41st minute cross well whilst under considerable pressure from Ross, and then he dived well to his left to touch Tully's direct free kick away. From the resultant corner, Gordon Lappin cleared an effort off the line before, right on the interval whistle, Tony Mitchell saved well low down at his left hand post from a McMullan drive.

Stephen Canning was gifted the best chance of the game immediately upon the resumption when Macdonald misguided a backwards header right into his path, but although Canning's lob looked to be going in, Pirie's slight deflection on it took it onto the roof of the net rather than just under it.

Canning looked eager to make amends and his neat back heel sent Allan scampering to the left wing byeline before the midfielder picked out Lappin's run with a precision pass only for his team-mate's volley to strike a defender and deflect narrowly past.

It was only a matter of time before a goal finally arrived, and it did, but not at the end that home fans wanted to see it at. From a rare break upfield, Elgin won a corner in the 50th minute and there was Kevin Steele lying completely unmarked at the back post to fire in a left foot shot, albeit aided by a wicked deflection off Tony Quinn.

Now two goals down, Queen's gamely stuck to their task and refused to abandon their neat passing game. Twice in quick succession Stuart Jack wriggled his way into the box to deliver good ball's across the face of the goal, but each time good defending cleared the danger at the expense of a corner.

Tony Quinn then saw a free kick defect off the wall and over for a corner, before a John Gemmell charge into the box resulted in the ball breaking to Canning, but somehow Pirie managed to touch the youngster's close range shot inches by his right hand post. As the frustration in the home ranks grew, Gordon Lappin was rightly booked for an extremely late sliding tackle.

Queen's finally made the breakthrough they so badly needed in the 75th minute. John Gemmell nodded down a deep Gallagher cross and Stephen Canning earned just reward for his persistence when he swivelled round to send a left foot half volley into the roof of the net.

Elgin's Tully had been fortunate to escape a booking for persistent fouling thus far, but even referee Hunter's leniency had to come to an end in the 78th minute when the midfielder was deservedly cautioned for a cynical trip from behind on Chris Fisher. Queen's fans thought that they had grabbed an equaliser a minute later when John Gemmell leapt to bullet in a driven right wing cross from Lappin,  but somehow it managed to hit Pirie straight in the midriff. Had it been a foot to either side, the big 'keeper wouldn't even have seen it!

Lappin then turned creator for Allan, but again the shot dipped the wrong side of the crossbar. Fisher then surrendered possession tamely on the halfway line allowing Elgin to have a 3 on 2 break but fortunately Steele's shot went straight at Tony Mitchell.

Mitchell was again called into action in the 86th minute, clutching a direct free kick from Tully, before Ross Jackson had the last attempt of the game with a low shot that trundled by Pirie's right hand post. deep into injury time, Jimmy Allan was also correctly shown a yellow card after indulging in a bit of king fu out on the far touchline.

Losing the first game of the season at home to a team who will do well to finish in the top half of the table is not a good way to start the new campaign, but for once John McCormack's platitude's about have many positive things to take from the game will actually ring true. Last season saw plenty of huffing and puffing with all too little guile, but Moffat and Agostini both prefer to play balls into feet from the back rather than the hopeful punts up the park that dominated Queen's play last time around. Lappin, Jack and Allan are all tidy players too, and once the likes of Borland, Whelan, Magee, Dunning and Menelaws regain fitness, there should be plenty of competition for places. However, if today is anything to go by, Willie Martin looks to be set to spend most of this season on the fringes again, and one wonders if he will ever be given a decent run in the team to see whether he is capable of making a name for himself at this level.

This Tuesday evening, Gretna visit Hampden in the first round of the Bells Challenge Cup, and hopefully this time Queen's will get the goals that their entertaining outfield play deserves.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 4/5           STAR SPIDER : Steven Moffat (a very assured and composed performance)

QUEEN’S PARK : Tony Mitchell, Danny Ferry (Ross Jackson - 83), John Gallagher, Steven Moffat, Damiano Agostini, Tony Quinn, Gordon Lappin, Stuart Jack (Chris Fisher - 68), John Gemmell, Stephen Canning, Jimmy Allan

Subs (not used) : Stewart Thomson (GK), Richard Sinclair, Willie Martin

Scorer(s) : Canning (75 mins)      Booked : Lappin (62 - late tackle), Allan (90 - dangerous challenge)

ELGIN CITY : Martin Pirie, Steven Macdonald, Russell McBride, David Hind (David James - 81), Trialist, Craig Tully, David Ross, Chris Love, Ryan McMullan, Kevin Steele, David Craig (Mike Sanderson - 67)

Subs (not used) : Peter Hamilton (GK), Andy Smith, Fraser Bremner

Scorer(s) : McMullan (9), Steele (50)         Booked : Tully (78 - trip)

REFEREE : Andrew Hunter ***  (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)