By The Spider
September 15 2003

Saturday, 13th September, 2003 Cowdenbeath 0 Queen's Park 1 (Bells Scottish League – Third Division)

Queen's fans travelled to Cowdenbeath full of hope as, in recent years at any rate, a visit by The Spiders to Central Park is as close to an away banker as the Hampden side come. Whether by choice or by circumstance, with Damiano Agostini apparently further away from fitness than he was a fortnight ago, Kenny Brannigan fielded the same side that had defeated Inverness Caledonian Thistle in the League Cup tie 11 days previously.

Certainly his charges looked keen to get on the scoresheet early and Ross Clark should have done much better than to pull a shot wide from close range after he cottoned onto a loose ball inside the Cowden penalty area. A minute later and Stevie McAuley came close when he was first to reach a poor headed backpass but, after rounding Carlin, a defender got back in time to clear McAuley's left foot shot off the goal-line. Then, seconds later, Ross Clark hammered a volley straight at Carlin when a less cleanly struck shot a yard either side would undoubtedly have found the back of the net.

Clark was a bundle of energy at this stage and continued to run the Cowden defence ragged, but again he lacked composure when shooting and once more a good opportunity was pulled wide of the target.

The home side made their first foray up the park in the 10th minute when Winter's shot was deflected over Derek Scrimgour and only just missed his far post. Some casual play from Scringour nearly proved costly in the 13th minute as he dallied with a clearance and only succeeded in allowing Brown to get close enough to charge the ball down. Fortunately, the rebound fell kindly for the Queen's 'keeper inside his own area. Seconds later, Mauchlen was booked for a late tackle on Ross Clark.

A second booking arrived midway through the half, Morris being cautioned for stupidly kicking the ball away after he disagreed with the award of a foul to Stephen Canning.

Brown was looking a bit of a handful and Scrimgour did well a minute later to hold a powerful snap shot from the home centre forward. Referee Tom Brown was being kept busy in a fiercely competitive, but far from dirty game, and McKeown and Stevie McAuley   became the next two players to be booked after an off the ball tussle developed between them in the 26th minute.

Stevie Canning was given a sight of goal just after the half hour mark, but his low shot from an Ally Graham knock down was well saved by Carlin. Winter had an equally good opportunity to open the scoring in the 34th minute when Gilfillan headed the ball back into his path from the back post following a corner, but the midfielder pulled his snatched shot well wide.

A Richard Sinclair free kick was then expertly laid into Canning's path by Ally Graham, but Stevie took one touch to many and was tackled at the edge of the Cowden six yard box. Then, in the 41st minute, the home side were reduced to ten men when Morris was sent off after receiving his second booking for a straightforward enough foul, when it looked as if a quiet warning in his ear would have sufficed.

With referee Brown now having potentially made a rod for his own back where any mistimed tackle was likely to produce a booking, it was very predictable that Stevie Reilly would have a yellow card waved at him after he had put in a late challenge on Shields in a vain attempt to recover from a mistake that had seen him lose possession cheaply. From the resultant free kick, the Queen's defence failed to clear the ball properly and a fierce volley from Shields through a ruck of players rebounded from Derek Scrimgour's knee with the Queen's 'keeper not knowing too much about it.

Queen's started the second half in much the same way that they had begun the first, and a sweeping move involving Reilly, Moffat and Clark saw the last named denied by a great save from Carlin after Ross had attempted to curl the ball around him towards the far post. However, the breakthrough was only delayed until the 49th minute when Ally Graham cleverly directed a downwards header into the path of Stevie Canning (journalists, please note that it was not David Carcary, whoever he is!) who met the ball first time whilst on the run to give Carlin no chance from 15 yards out.

The goal should have put Queen's on easy street but instead, as so often happens, the reverse was the case as Cowden now began to play like a team with an extra man's advantage.

Gilfillan saw a long range effort dip narrowly over the bar a minute later but this was countered by a Queen's breakaway which saw Stevie McAuley accept a Stevie Canning pass before cutting back onto his right foot and sending a shot across Carlin which the 'keeper superbly fingertipped past his back post.

That effort apart, Queen's had little to offer and if another goal was going to be scored, then it looked for all the world as if it would be by the home side. Derek Scrimgour was unable to hold a fierce volley from Shields, and Richard Sinclair came to his rescue by clearing the ball away from his own six yard box as Brown tried to knock it into the empty net.

Scrimgour then saved a long range effort from Gordon before Jonny Whelan was booked in the 72nd minute for a tackle from behind. The ever-dangerous Brown then fed Shields with a neat header behind the Queen's defence and Richard Sinclair made up for some previous poor clearances with a superb tackle on Shields as the home forward looked ready to pick his spot.

Carcary and Graham linked well in the 86th minute to find Harvey in space on the right flank, but the new signing's attempted lob over Carlin drifted wide of the far post. With Cowdenbeath winning every 50/50 ball in the midfield area, Queen's were barely holding on and Scrimgour saved the day with two minutes remaining when he made a fine close range save from Shields.

Stevie Canning was surprisingly booked a few seconds later when he made what looked to be a perfectly fair challenge, winning the ball cleanly. However, perhaps referee Tom Brown has delusions of becoming a top FIFA referee, because he took a very European view and showed an unfortunate Canning a yellow card, presumably for his studs being raised when he won the ball.

A minute later, Queen's finally caught Cowdenbeath on the break and left wing-back McInally was deservedly cautioned for a deliberate trip on young Derek Carcary as he approached the home side's penalty area. Ally Graham fired in one of his trademark left footed free kicks but, as has now almost in itself become a trademark for ones taken late in the game, it was almost as tired as he was and Carlin saved with ease.

So, Queen's took all three points from their visit to the happy hunting ground that Central Park has become in recent seasons, but the manner of victory must be of some concern to coach Kenny Brannigan who must have been displeased by the sloppy second half performance from his players which nearly cost The Spiders two precious points.

Finally, a word for Cowden who deserved to take something from the game despite having to play all of the second half due to referee Brown's overly strict application of the rules (isn't this supposed to be a man's game?). Their work ethic was commendable and, in left back McInally and forwards Brown & Shields, they have players who will cause problems to lots of teams this season.

One down, two to go for those who saw the next three League games as an opportunity for Queen's to take full points, and before an away match with East Strlingshire, this Saturday The Spiders entertain Montrose at Hampden when another victory is well within their capabilities, but they will need to play better than this to achieve it.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 2/5           STAR SPIDER : Derek Scringour (earned his shut-out)

QUEEN’S PARK : Derek Scrimgour, Danny Ferry, Stephen Moffat, Stephen Canning, Richard Sinclair,Stevie Fallon, Ross Clark, Stevie Reilly Paul Harvey -52), Ally Graham, Jonny Whelan, Steven McAuley (Derek Carcary - 78)

Subs (not used) : Brian McCue (GK), Allan Dunning, Paddy Gallagher

Scorer(s) : Canning (49 mins)

Booked : McAuley (26 - aggressive behaviour), Reilly (43 - late challenge), Whelan (72 - tackle from behind), Canning (88 - "studs-up" challenge)

COWDENBEATH : Andy Carlin, Calvin Shand (Trialist - 55), David McInally, Bryan Gilfillan, John McKeown, David Mowat (Ross Matheson - 78), Iain Mauchlen (Kevin Gordon - 55), Craig Winter, Graeme Brown, Dene Shields, Ian Morris

Subs (not used) : Allan Fleming (GK), Steven Boyle

Scorer(s) : none

Booked : Mauchlen (13 - late challenge), Morris (22 - dissent) & (41 - late tackle), McKeown (26 - aggressive behaviour), Mcinally (89 - professional foul)

REFEREE :  Tom Brown ** (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)