A polished first half performance, which included three goals, was enough for our 18s to gain all three points last night against Ross County at Toryglen.
The deluge of rain and driving wind that had battered Glasgow all day relented at 5pm. The conditions for the CAS Performance League game were as close to perfect as you could get on a mid-November night.
Queen’s made four changes from last week’s game against Fife Elite. Out go: Lind, Scott, Mahon and Lickrish, replaced by: Ross, McCormick, Howie and Fairlie.
The game started in a controlled manner, neither side taking charge.
Queen’s got their first corner in the second minute. Excellent attacking play by Bruce to force the corner.
Queen’s began to establish their superiority in the game, pushing Ross County deep into their half. Despite their dominance, very few chances were created in the opening 10 minutes.
Liam McLeish opened the scoring in the 12th minute. Liam McQuaid created the goal by dribbling through the Ross County midfield before laying the ball to Liam McLeish, who was wide left just outside the County box. Liam stepped inside and drilled the ball past the keeper from 12 yards out. A well worked goal.
In the 28th minute Josh Howie added a second. Good play down the left saw Josh with the ball at the edge of the County box. He stepped in and smashed the ball low into the corner of the net from 14 yards out.
Although the score was 2-0 to Queen’s, the youngsters from Ross County were working hard to contain the speedy Queen’s players. Their defence was well organised and contained many Queen’s attacks. Having said that it really was one way traffic for most of the first half.
In the 36th minute Queen’s went 3-0 up. Kane Thomson went on a run down the right wing, cut the ball into the County six yard box for Liam McLeish to set onto and fire home for his second of the night.
The half finished with Queen’s on top. This was an impressive display by the young Spiders. Their speed of passing and movement was a delight to watch.
Half time: Queen’s Park 3 Ross County 0
Queen’s started the second half in attack. They had a couple of shots on goal but were denied by excellent saves by the County goalkeeper.
Ross County changed their tactics in the second half. They pushed higher up the park in an attempt to prevent Queen’s building up their attacks.
In the 64th minute Ross County pulled one back. Slackness in passing in the Queen’s defence allowed the County number 9 to nick the ball and hit it past Reece Beverage.
Ross County gained confidence from the goal and pushed on in an attempt to get another.
Queen’s couldn’t match the intensity they exhibited in the first half. Perhaps inevitable due to substitutions and being 3-1 up. Ross County had much more of the ball than they had in the first half. Despite this Reece Beverage was not called in to action often.
In the 83rd minute Queen’s had the ball in the Ross County net. The goal was chalked off due to a foul in the build-up.
Full time: Queen’s Park 3 Ross County 1
Coach Charlie King commented after the game: “This was a game we controlled from start to finish and was probably over as a contest by half time. Slightly disappointed we never kept the levels up in the second half to get a few more goals. Good to get three under 16s some game time who have more than earned their places in the squad with recent performances at their own age level.”
Queen’s Park: Beverage, Thomson, Bruce, Graham, Reid, McQuaid, Ross, McLeish, McCormick, Howe, Fairlie. Subs: Connelly, Mahon, McVey, Scott, McDowell, Smith, Russell.
Previous Games:
St Mirren 4 Queen’s Park 3
Fife Elite 2 Queen’s Park 3
Queen’s Park 5 Dundee 0
Ayr United 0 Queen’s Park 1
Morton 1 Queen’s Park 3
Kilmarnock 0 Queen’s Park 6
Queen’s Park 3 St Johnstone 1
Partick Thistle 0 Queen’s Park 4
Inverness CT 1 Queen’s Park 2
St Mirren 0 Queen’s Park 3
Queen’s Park 2 Motherwell 1
Queen’s Park 0 Fife Elite 1
Dundee 0 Queen’s Park 0