Three goals in the first half gets Young Queen’s Park’s off and running in SPFL Reserve League
Queen’s travelled to Dumfries to play Queen of the South in their second Reserve League fixture of the season. Both sides were looking for their first points after losing their opening games. Queen’s to Motherwell and Queen of the South to Ayr United.
The Spiders made four changes from the side that played Hibernian last week in the Reserve Cup. Replacing Mauchin, D. Boateng, McPake and Kenny with Thomson, Naismith, Nicol and Mcleish.
Queen’s kicked the game off in bright sunshine at Palmertston Park, but it was Queen of the South who looked the brightest in the opening minutes. They had a couple of corners and the put the Queen’s back line under pressure.
Queen’s first chance on goal was when Scott Williamson fastened onto a through ball and fired in a shot which skimmed the bar.
Queen’s now began to take control of the game and in the 10th minute they opened the scoring. After a superb move involving five Queen’s players, Scott Williamson received the ball at the edge of the Queen of the South box. Scott squared the ball to Liam McQuaid, who was unmarked. LIAM took one touch and hit a low shot past the keeper into the corner of the net.
That goal gave the young Queen’s side the confidence to kick on and put Queen of the South under a lot of pressure. They moved the ball around the pitch with considerable pace, looking for gaps in the Queen of the South defence. Alex Fairlie and Cammy Bruce were getting room on the wings to get behind the defence to put dangerous crosses into the six yard box.
Queen’s continued to threaten, even missing a few clear cut chances. But the inevitable second goal came in the 34th minute. Queen’s forced a corner. Gregor Nicol took the corner and drilled in a ball which Liam McLeish met perfectly at the edge of the six yard box to head home.
Three minutes later Queen’s forced another corner and this time Scott Williamson out-jumped Queen of the South’s Lewis Currie to head home.
Half-time: Queen of the South 0 Queen’s Park 3
Queen’s started the second half looking for more. Scott Williamson controlled along ball out from the back and played in Liam McQuaid who’s shot narrowly missed the target.
Queen of the South responded with Gibson narrowly missing the post with his shot. Their changed formation, with more players in midfield, was beginning to pay dividends as they began to get more of the ball.
Queen’s made their first changes in the 57th minute replacing Naismith and Williamson with Smith and McCormick.
Three minutes later Queen of the South were awarded a penalty when Gibson was brought down inside the Queen’s box. Irving took the penalty but was denied by a superb save by Jacques Heraghty.
Queen’s were at this stage in the game were being pushed back by Queen of the South and restricted to fast breaks. One such fast break was, in the 64th minute, when Gregor Nicol raced past two defenders on the left wing and played a great ball into the Queen of the South box which narrowly missed the heads of the on-rushing queen’s forwards.
In the 69th minute Queen’s replaced McQuaid and McLeish with Lind and Scott.
Two minutes later Queen’s had their best chance of the half. A free kick wide left was floated into the Queen of the South six yard box. It looked like the keepers ball all the way, but Archie Graham met the ball first and headed the ball over the keeper but couldn’t get to the loose ball before it crossed the bye line.
In the 77th minute Queen’s replaced Fairlie with Brady.
Full-time: Queen of the South 0 Queen’s Park 3
Queen’s Park: Heraghty, Thomson, Naismith (Smith 57′), Graham, Bruce, Fairlie (Brady 77′), McQuaid (Lind 69′), Biggar, Nicol, McLeish (Scott 69′), Williamson ( McCormick 57′). Subs not used: Howe, Ferguson.
Queen of the South: Cowie, Muir, Quitongo, Johnstone, Burns, Currie (Oram), McKechnie, McMahon, Bange (Mendy), Gibson (Paton), Irving.
Subs not used: Pietsch, Foster, Shaw, Watson.