ICT 1-2 Queen's Park - CAS U19s Advanced Youth League
CHARLEY KING’S Queen’s Park under-19s team maintained their 100 per cent record at the top of the CAS Advanced Youth League with a 2-1 win over Inverness on Sunday.
The Highlanders moved the match to their first-team stadium in the shadow of the Kessock Bridge and it was a comeback fitting of the arena from the Young Spiders.
Goals from Connor Falls and a winner from in-form Ross McLean sent the side back down the A9 with the full complement of points.
However they had fallen behind to their older, more experienced opponents early in the game.
Queen’s Park were lighter in number than usual owing to the first-team’s three-match schedule this week.
However that created an opportunity for additional under-17s to make the step up – and they made the most of the opportunity with a win.
The visitors seemed in control based on possession and game-play but it was the home side who took the lead – going direct and placing the Spiders defence under pressure and taking the chance to beat Milosz Sliwinski midway through the first half.
However Queen’s Park pulled one back with a move straight from the training ground. Sam McLachlan and Cole Goldie crafted it at a corner and when the ball struck the post, Connor Falls was on-hand to knock in from a yard or so out.
Even in the moments that followed before the half-time whistle King’s side could have taken the lead.
They did after the break with Ross McLean – match-winner against Kilwinning earlier this month – striking the winner and preserving the team’s perfect record at the top of the table.
Inverness continued to seek an equaliser, and utilised their long throw threat but two big stops from Sliwinski and some brave defending brought the points back to the southside.
Charley King said: “Playing this game at the stadium at Inverness was a good experience for the boys, on a good grass pitch. Inverness also included a few older players in their squad so it was a tough one for us.
“We lost the goal against the run of play. They’d been a threat from direct balls into the box and long throws and the opener came from a long throw which was disappointing for us because it was something we had watched and noted that they used. We switched off and allowed them to go 1-0 up.
“We deserved our equaliser and scored a really good goal from Ross McLean to win it. Ross was our stand-out player. He played really well on the left wing and caused lots of problems going one-on-one with his man and going by him.
“For the last 20 minutes we had to defend the long balls into the box and it was good to grab the win – helped by Milosz making a few big saves.
“It was a tough game against an older team at a tough venue but it was a good experience and we dug it out to keep our 100pc record in the league. That was important and we want to keep that going as long as we can.
