2006/07 Season Review
A serialised account of our season by our man who has been at every match home and away - Ewan Lithgow
Part Three - September 19th May 2007
The long trip to Dingwall already looked another pivotal game in a season off to yet another atrocious start. It didn't go well. We were probably marginally the better side but went down to Don Cowie's headed goal early in the second half. Substitute Barry Callaghan struck a post from 25 yards late on but we never really troubled Craig Samson in the home goal at all. To make matters worse, Eric Paton joined a lengthening injury list with a stomach problem that would keep him out for three weeks. On the positive front though we actually moved up a place on goal difference!
Things continued to go from bad to worse a week later when an awkward trip to Dens Park yielded the more or less expected nil points. Dundee started like a train in fact and should really have led by more than the one goal courtesy of Bobby Mann's unmarked header from a corner. However, Queens worked their way back into the game and, without even having had a shot at goal, equalised when referee Chris Boyle decided that Dundee's Scott Robertson had barged into Queens' Scott Robertson deliberately in the penalty area. John O'Neill as usual did the necessary from 12 yards. The game was lost though through an equally dubious second half penalty when Jim Thomson was adjudged to have tripped Gavin Swankie. Later footage showed there to have been no contact but needless to say our old friend Derek Lyle wasn't asking any questions about it as he duly converted to win the game.


More goals against us this season than for us last season!
With the strikers toiling and Weir still out McCall moved out of desperation for some impetus up front and signed up Andrew Barrowman from Kilmarnock on an emergency loan, initially for one month though it would later be extended to three months and the big striker would return again in the second part of the season. Barrowman made his debut in the home game with Clyde but it made little odds. I missed my only game of the season but it was described by most as our worst showing (which in the first half of the season is quite some accolade!). We lost 2-0 to a double by Dougie Imrie. The performance was so bad and the unrest so vocal indeed that McCall was prompted to issue an open letter on the Official club website underlining what he was trying to achieve at the club and asking for the continued support of the fans in achieving it.


New boy Barrowman made a promising debut against the Bully Wee

The month finished with some improvement though as an encouraging performance yielded a second league point at Hamilton. Richard Offiong gave the home side a deserved early lead and in fact they missed two easy chances to put the game beyond us before John O'Neill's equaliser on the stroke of half time. The second half though was a different tale as Accies' Brian Easton was dismissed for a pull back on Paul Burns and Queens dominated. Sadly we never got closer to scoring than when Des McCaffrey struck the crossbar with the free kick awarded for the Easton / Burns incident. The disappointment of failing to capitalise on our man advantage was heightened when we discovered that Airdrie had gained a shock win at Gretna.


Des McCaffrey makes a defensive clearance - Photo David Gow

We finished the month anchored to the foot of the table with just two points from eight games, two points behind Airdrie and four behind Ross County. Already it looked down to a three horse race for relegation and the playoffs and we were in the worst position of the three.

Ewan Lithgow
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