LATEST MATCH REPORT

Reports from matches this season go to the fixtures section and click on the report linked to the match you want to read about. Alternatively for earlier seasons go to the fixtures section of the archive for the relevant year.

QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 1 : 0 St.MIRREN

10th April 2004

Samson Rating: 6.14

Paton Rating: 7.25

Allan Rating: 6.74

Reid Rating: 7.26

Aitken Rating: 6.69

S1 Bagan Rating: 5.35

1 Bowey Rating: 8.23

McColligan Rating: 7.03

Gibson Rating: 7.74

S2 Jaconelli Rating: 7.28

Burke Rating: 7.10

SUBSTITUTES
S1 - 26 Payne Rating: 7.28	S2 - 88 McMullan	Burns	Thomson	Dodds

SUBMIT YOUR mom RATINGS

Members of the Internet Fan Club can award players marks out of ten for their performance today. The player with the most points awarded in the two days following a match will be the IFC Man of the Match. All of the points will then be added to a running total for each player and the results published in the mom League Table.

Name or IFC No.

MATCH SUMMARY

Anyone expecting a repeat of the display witnessed against Ayr United two weeks ago was in for a pleasant surprise today as Queens bossed this match from start to finish and should really have won by at least a couple of goals more than they eventually did. A look at the team-sheets pre-kick-off would have left many fans thinking that Queens would be in for a tough time against their experienced Paisley opponents, names like Murray, Dunn, Lappin, Gilles, Russell, Annand, Hinchcliffe, Millen, Broadfoot and Crilly would certainly have made most Queens fans expect a tough encounter - at least. However the determination and skill of the Doonhamers made sure that the Buddies had few chances and that the points remained at Palmerston with former Queens favourite John O'Neill almost anonymous as Derek Allan put him in his pocket at 3.00pm and kept him there until 4.50pm without any trouble at all.

Just to prove that he was playing today!

The Dumfries side's line-up saw David Bagan coming off last weeks bench and taking up a right wing position - although it would turn out to be for only 26 minutes, Willie Gibson reverting to the left-side of midfield - his more natural and effective position, and Alex Burke partnering Emilio Jaconelli upfront as Sean O'Connor failed to make the squad due to his tendonitis. The only change on the bench from last week was Burns for Bagan. As the game panned out St.Mirren had the bulk of possession for the first five and the last ten minutes but in between it was all Queens. It took only eight minutes for the game to be decided - David Bagan played Alex Burke through, Burkey attempted to beat the 'keeper but his effort was pushed away for a corner. The resultant ball was played deep, Derek Allan headed it back across goal and Brian Reid shot but the ball rebounded out to Steve Bowey who placed the ball under Hinchcliffe and into the back of the net to give Queens an early lead.

Bowser celebrates with Ackers.

Within a couple of minutes it could easily have been two as first Jaconelli charged down a Hinchcliffe clearance and then David Bagan fired an effort that rebounded off the junction of the bar and post much to the relief of the large travelling support.

They may have 10K seats but even the Buddies don't like to sit down.

On twelve minutes Emilio was downed on the edge of the box and Alex Burke took the opportunity to send in a very quick free-kick that came off the post and that Jaconelli followed up and had his header well saved although Emilio was already in an offside position. The action was coming thick and fast with the visitors under siege and looking like relegation candidates with 'keystone cop' defending. Alex Burke being next to take advantage of the holes as he ran past two defenders and fired a left foot shot goalward that Hinchcliffe had covered all the way. On twenty minutes a free-kick on the edge of the box again saw Bagan play in Jaconelli who rounded the 'keeper before firing in an effort from an acute angle that was just cleared by a defender at the post. Brian Reid was the next to have a go and a memorable goal it would have been for him as his left foot shot from the edge of the box beat the defence and 'keeper but not the post. Frustration at being hemmed into their own half showed with the 'Buddies' tackling leaving a lot to be desired, David Bagan was the first 'victim' as he had to leave the field after a crunching tackle left him hobbling badly in the 26th minute, he was replaced by the newly peroxided Stephen Payne.

Shock as Stephen Payne dies his hair ginger!.

On the half-hour mark Brian McColligan showed great skill as he broke down the left, through the visiting defence and crossed/shot toward the far post with the ball just squeezing past the upright.

McColligan's effort beats everyone and the post.

A scare for Queens five minutes later as a cross ball reached the far post and Andy Millen looked to have squeezed it through Samsons legs and into the net to equalise. Fortunately though the 'eagle eyed' linesman had spotted that the ball had somehow spun out of play before it had reached the far post and that a goal-kick and not a goal was in order. The second disallowed goal of the game came only five minutes later as Steve Bowey received a quality ball from Willie Gibson, turned and fired home from a tight angle - offside according to the linesman. Just before half-time Brian McColligan broke through on the left and put Steve Bowey in with a chance as he arrived at the near post, however a defender managed to get in the way and the chance ended up over the bar. At the other end St.Mirren had a rare chance as John O'Neill appealed to the referee for an age when he landed on his backside in a challenge with Derek Allan for a cross-ball. On the half-time whistle Queens had a second 'goal' chalked off as Alex Burke ran through on goal and stroked the ball home for number two - as everyone thought - except the stand side linesman who had had his flag up for some time and who the referee eventually saw despite almost re-starting the match before he noticed him. So half-time came and the score somehow remained at just 1-0. The second half saw no changes to the home line-up but the Saints made one change with Laurie Ellis coming on into the heart of the defence. Queens though started where they had left off as Alex Burke waltzed around two defenders before firing in a cross that was smothered by Hinchcliffe. Ten minutes later and Burke was wrestled to the ground by McGowne who appeared intent on swapping shirts as Burkey sneaked past him - the defender only receiving a mild talking too from the referee Mr Underhill. Fifteen minute into the half and Queens had to defend as Eric Paton headed away a Laurie Ellis effort at the far post, but it was soon up the other end as Willie Gibson turned his markers inside out and set up Steve Bowey for an effort on goal that was well stopped by the backside of Emilio Jaconelli with Hinchcliffe beaten.

It's behind you.

Emilio Jaconelli did 'score' today but unfortunately the referee and linesman are in on the conspiracy and denied 'Jaco' his maiden goal as the flag again shot up for offside -it will come soon though. As the Buddies tried to battle back Mark Crilly found an unusual way to win a free-kick as he lay on the deck with the ball between his legs and refused to give it up despite the best efforts of Andy Aitken and Brian McColligan - the normal rules didn't seem to count this time though and Crilly won the kick. With time running out the visitors became more effective as the home side decided that defence in depth would be enough to take the points. Emilio Jaconelli left the field to be replaced by Paul McMullan with only a few minutes to go and St.Mirren had their best spell that culminated in a Ricky Gilles overhead kick that John O'Neill managed to blast over the bar from just a few yards out - kind of summed up his day back in Dumfries. The final whistle went and the Queens fans left the happier of the two sets of support as the performance today had been tremendous and the opposite of that which had been witnessed two weeks ago against Ayr United. As for St.Mirren - a lot of good quality players but no passion - maybe they fancy a season in the second!