Defensive lapses cost the young Spiders dearly in Friday night's CAS Performance Level league game against Kilmarnock.
The young Spiders made the short journey down the M77, on Friday night, to play Kilmarnock in their fourth game of the new season.
After surviving an initial Killie press in the opening ten minutes of the game, Queen’s started to have more possession of the ball. They moved the ball around the back and used the wings to get behind the Killie defence.
Euan Ross and Lennon Connolly, with their pace, managed to intercept a couple of passes, but before they could get shots away the Kilmarnock defence closed them down.
In the 24th minute Kilmarnock went close when their number nine broke with the ball, then passed to their number 11, who cut inside and shot. Callan McKenna, in goal for Queen’s, expertly blocked the shot.
Queen’s were just not playing at the top of their game. Although they were moving the ball about the back line, often the pass would fail to reach a Queen’s player, or the ball would be intercepted and from being in possession and developing an attack the Queen’s players had to react quickly and change to defending a fast break by the speedy Killie forwards.
In the 42nd minute Liam McVey was replaced by Dom Brady after a collision.
Half time: Kilmarnock 0 Queen’s Park 0
Three minutes into the second half Kilmarnock opened the scoring when their number 9 intercepted a poor pass and scored from an acute angle.
In the 54th minute Lucas McCormick was brought down inside the Killie box. Penalty to Queen’s. Lucas took the spot kick and converted.
In the 58th minute a great run down the left wing by Jojo Smith resulted in the ball being delivered into the Killie six yard box, but before any Queen’s forward could connect the ball was cleared by the Killie defence.
In the 65th minute Kilmarnock made it 2-1 to the Ayrshire side. Again, another loose ball played out from the Queen’s defence was intercepted by the Kille number 14 who dribbled past a Queen’s defender before firing a shot past Callan McKenna into the far corner of the net.
In the 76th minute Queen’s made a triple substitution; replacing Lennon Connolly, Euan Ross and Josh Howe with Leo Clark, Lewis Burchill and Daniel Mathison.
In the final quarter of the game, Callan McKenna was brought into action a number of times after, yet again, poor passing resulted in Killie having shots on goal.
Full time: Kilmarnock 2 Queen’s Park 2
Queen’s Park: McKenna, Lickrish, Bruce, Ferguson, Cassidy, Smith, Howe, McVey, McCormick, Ross, Connelly.
Subs: Clark, Burchill, Mathison, Brady, Russell