By The Spider
September 7 2002

Saturday, 7th September, 2002 Queen’s Park 1 East Stirlingshire 0 (CIS Cup - 1st Round)

For the second Saturday in a row, Queen's won 1-0 at home, Danny Ferry was Man Of The Match and Jimmy Allan was the only player from either side to be booked. Sadly, that wasn't the only resemblance to last week's game against Gretna as the week's rest for the players failed to produce the buzzing performance that had been eagerly anticipated.

Thanks to Kilmarnock's generosity, Colin Stewart was allowed to become "cup tied" and Stevie Fallon came in at left back with Chris Fisher and Gordon Lappin also making the starting line up.

'Shire were first to threaten but Livingston's 1st minute snapshot was Stewart with an easy early save. It took Queen's until the 9th minute to get in gear, John Gemmell nodding a Fallon cross inches wide. Gemmell continued to be in the thick of the action, nodding on a Ferry cross for Quinn whose shot was deflected for a corner. When the cross came over and was cleared, Gemmell then returned a Whelan pass into the Liverpudlian's path, but Johnny's chip cleared the bar by some distance.

Apart from a 14th minute Fairbairn header which went over the bar, Queen's were well on top and Gemmell's flick-on from a long Whelan throw in gave Jimmy Allan a close range headed opportunity, but he was unable to make sufficient contact with the ball to get it on target.

Just before the half hour mark, an excellent flowing move up the entire length of the pitch saw Fallon, Gemmell and Whelan all link together to give Chris Fisher a sight of goal, but "Blondie" pulled his right foot shot over the bar. John Gemmell then created a chance for himself with a great turn and shot from 30 yards which left Finlay completely static as it whizzed narrowly past the postage stamp corner.

A Stephen Canning lay-off gave Fisher another chance, but this time his shot bobbled past a post. Five minutes before half time, Tony Quinn sent an overhead kick straight at Finlay before an Allan shot deflected into the path of Damiano Agostini whose first time effort forced Finlay to make a diving save low to his left. The last action of the half saw Steven Moffat curl a free kick round the defensive wall, but also round the far post.

Jimmy Allan's first darting run up the left wing came in the 49th minute, and John Gemmell should have done far better than to nod the perfect cross past the wrong side of the near post with the goal at his mercy. Johnny Whelan then sent a scissors kick narrowly wide of the same post before Chris Fisher had a close range shot charged down following some neat interchange play by Whelan and Allan.

For 57 minutes, without being on the top of their game, Queen's had kept East Stirlingshire very much at bay, but now the Falkirk side began to create some chances of their own. Sean McAuley was the man who began to make the visitors tick and he sent the first of several goal attempts wide following a quick break. A minute later, he sent a similar effort narrowly wide of the other post.

Colin Stewart then earned his corn in the 65th minute when he made a great block from a very powerful McGhee free kick. Finlay was also called into action after Willie Martin sent Jimmy Allan through, and the 'keeper instinctively threw up his right hand to block the fierce left foot drive which was destined for his near post top corner. The 'keeper then saved Whelan's snapshot from the resultant corner.

Right winger McAulay then shot wide from a  good position thanks in part to some good pressurising from Tony Quinn, before Queen's had something of a let-off in the 72nd minute. Fairbairn wriggled his way to the bye-line before pulling the ball back and, although Colin Stewart got a hand to it, the ball spilled out of his grasp but fortunately there was no 'Shire player on hand to put it into the empty net from eight yards.

Having been warned about a needless trip just seconds before, Jimmy Allan could have no complaints when he was booked by referee Brines for an immediate repeat offence.

Colin Stewart turned defence into attack in the 85th minute when he sent Danny Ferry haring up the right wing with a quick long throw out. The Queen's captain then switched play with a long crossfield pass to Jimmy Allan but, have ripped the 'Shire defence wide open, the chance was wasted when Jimmy's cross drifted over Finlay and onto the roof of the net.

By now Queen's had regained control of the game again and from this point forward there was only ever going to be one winner in normal time as 'Shire desperately tried to cling on to the reprieve of extra time.

Stephen Canning wriggled free of his markers in the area to fire a left foot shot at Finlay before Willie Martin had a great chance when he accepted an Allan pass with his back to goal and sent his nearest opponent the wrong way with a great turn. However, with only Finlay to beat, he pulled his shot wide of the far post from close range.

Although Fairbairn had a token attempt at goal with a header which trundled wide, Queen's were quickly camped in the 'Shire half again as they went for the kill. Right on the 90th minute, Tony Quinn headed a corner onto the underside of the bar and, as the ball rebounded down, Willie Martin struck like a cobra to thrash the ball into the net from point blank range to deservedly send Queen's into the 2nd round and keep alive Danny Ferry's dream that one of the Old Firm could be Hampden visitors long before the semi-final stages.

Next Saturday sees 'Shire return to the National Stadium for a league fixture, and a similar result perhaps with a better performance would keep the Queen's fans happy.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 3/5           STAR SPIDER : DANNY FERRY (sponsors got it right again!)

QUEEN’S PARK : Colin Stewart, Danny Ferry, Stevie Fallon, Steven Moffat, Damiano Agostini, Tony Quinn, Chris Fisher (Willie Martin - 60), Johnny Whelan, John Gemmell (Ross Jackson - 71), Gordon Lappin (Stephen Canning - 36), Jimmy Allan

Subs (not used) : Stewart Thomson (GK), Richard Sinclair

Scorer(s) : Martin (90)

Booked : Allan (77)

EAST STIRLINGSHIRE : Scott Finlay, Roddy Mauchan (Billy Struthers - 40), Graham McLaren, David Grant, Graeme McGhee, Jordan Leishman (Gerry Boyle - 87), Sean McAuley, Jamie MacKay, Brian Fairbairn, David Ormiston, Scott Livingston

Subs (not used) : Scott McAuley (GK), Derek Ure, John Drummond

Scorer(s) : none

Booked : none

REFEREE :  Ian Brines *** (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)