By The Spider
March 31 2002

Saturday, 30th March, 2002 East Fife 0 Queen’s Park 3 (Scottish League - Third Division

Expectations of a good Queen's performance were high after last week's excellent result at Peterhead, and the almost full supporters' bus bore testament to this. Although it meant that the ball was quick to run away from players, the New Bayview pitch was in stunning bowling-green-like condition, so neither team could have any excuses for not producing an entertaining and skilful encounter. Thankfully, that was very much how it turned out to be.
Queen's got off to a flying start in the first minute when a long ball from Paul Borland sent Allan Dunning racing through the middle only for the pacy striker to be upended by a trip from behind by Thompson. The centre half was fortunate that he had Oliver alongside him at the time otherwise the yellow card that was quickly waved in his direction by referee Martindale might well have been of a darker colour.
With Jamie Bruce lined up to send in one of his pile-drivers, Mark Gallagher opted for the element of surprise but his curling left foot effort was well anticipated by Godfrey who re-positioned himself to make a good diving save to his left. This was the striker's third game in a row and he is clearly benefiting from the run as his fitness level is now such that he is able to lead the line again with some aplomb and, with Killie away from home next week, he should be able to make it four in a row.
Indeed, it was the mercurial Gal who created the next clear cut chance when he flicked a header into the path of Chris Fisher who neatly ran round an opponent after pushing the ball past the other side of him, before slipping the ball past the on-rushing Godrey. However, all credit to left back Gallagher who had seen the danger and who was back in time to clear off the line.
The home side's first attack didn't arrive until the 8th minute. Stephen Canning conceded a foul on the stand-side touchline and Thompson was allowed a free header from John Gallagher's outswinging cross which only just floated by Tony Mitchell's left hand post.
Queen's then earned two free kicks of their own in dangerous positions and this time it was left to James Bruce to strike both. The first was pulled wide but the second one fairly zipped along the surface forcing Godfrey to make a good diving save at his own feet. Had this one been directed towards either post, a goal would have been more than likely.
Centre forward Allan wriggled his way to the byeline in the 15th minute and sent a great ball across the six-yard line. There was no-one in support to take advantage, but Tony Mitchell wasn't to know that and made a great diving save to cut the cross out. An 18th minute long throw from Johnny Whelan found it's way to the back post where it was just nicked off the head of Stephen Canning for a corner.
John Gallagher fired over a deep cross in the 22nd minute and, although Tony Mitchell spilled it whilst under pressure from Allan, the sprightly Queen's 'keeper showed admirable agility and reflexes to recover well to smother the resultant loose ball. Mitchell was called into action again 6 minutes later when he saved an edge of the area volley from Munro which looked to be going wide anyway.
Queen's took the lead they deserved right on the half hour mark and a thing of rare beauty it was too. James Bruce sent a long pass out to the right wing which Allan Dunning gathered on the touchline after it had floated by his right shoulder. Dunning's cross was equally precise and Chris Fisher met it on the volley with his right foot to neatly guide it beyond Godfrey to provide a sublime finish to the perfect move. They don't come much better than that but, until something is done about the shame which is Hampden's turf, goals of that quality will carry the tag of "for away Queen's fans only"!
Encouraged by that effort, Queen's began to turn on some silky soccer a one-touch move involving Gallagher, Dunning and Whelan resulted in the latter firing over. However, the same three players were involved in Queen's second goal which arrived just five minutes after the first. Johnny Whelan pushed the ball out wide to Mark Gallagher who ran well to gather it and turn back onto his favoured left foot. Laying the ball into the patch of the oncoming Allan Dunning, the former Eaglesham Amateurs striker met it first time to neatly curl the ball over the stranded Godfrey and into the top left hand corner of the goal for another superbly executed goal. "Stunning Dunning" barely describes it!
Clearly rattled by the sheer quality of these two strikes, East Fife now sought to mix it and whilst Tony Quinn was penalised (perhaps for dangerous play) for trying to hack the ball away from Allan as he lay on the ground, quite how Martindale could choose to ignore the pairs angry exchange and Allan's subsequent off the ball kick at Quinn was beyond the belief of most observers, impartial or otherwise.
All credit to the main official in the 37th minute for performing his duty when we have witness countless officials bottle it in similar circumstances (the Brannigan assault on Dunning at Forthbank at the beginning of February immediately springs to mind as the perfect example). As Mark Gallagher challenged for a high ball in the centre circle, Jonathon Thompson went right through him from whilst leading with his elbow. Although Gal immediately crumpled to a heap, Martindale allowed Queen's to continue the move before it broke down about 10 seconds later. Having seen no advantage accrue, the official awarded Queen's the free kick for the original foul before calling Thompson to him for the ritual display of a second yellow then a subsequent red card to leave the home side reduced to 10 men. All too often we are called upon to severely criticise officials for their lack of guts in such instances so when one applies the rules correctly it is only fair that the balance be redressed and praise be given accordingly.

It took Queen's until the 44th minute to adapt to the change in their opponents' enforced formation when Allan Dunning broke down the right wing before crossing to Gal who laid the ball back into the path of Stephen Canning. Regrettably the youngster snatched at the opportunity and fired over the bar.

Queen's started the second half brightly. Firstly a netbound Mark Gallagher volley hit Allan Dunning on the back before Chris Fisher roasted Wilson on the left touchline. Although the resultant cross was cleared with an unmarked Gal waiting to head home, Paul Borland fired the loose ball in low to force Godfrey to save well.

In the 55th minute Queen's had an amazing 3 on 1 breakway as Chris Fisher advanced through the middle with Dunning to his left before Whelan joined the posse with a late burst from midfield. Dunning would have been the slightly better option as his right foot would have given him either side of the 'keeper to choose from but Chris chose right and overhit his pass to make Whelan's angle a tight one thereby allowing Godfrey to advance and block the near breathless midfielder's close range shot.

Spurred on by this let-off, East Fife raised their game for a brief spell and exerted some considerable pressure on the visitors' defence. Nairn won a back post header to provide Oliver with a free shot at goal from just eight yards out, but Tony Mitchell stood up well and managed to deflect the defender's shot over the bar. Neil Collins then did well to clear the resultant corner at the expense of another one but the defence stood firm to clear that one too.

In the 67th minute, Queen's were extremely guilty of switching off having conceded another corner and no-one went out to stop the quick short one being taken. A vicious shot from near the touchline followed which had Mitchell well beaten, but somehow Jamie White popped up from nowhere to head the ball off the line at the back post. All too often, goalscorers grab the headlines but White played the near perfect game only losing two of the 20 odd challenges he contested all afternoon. Last Saturday he had looked frail and nervy, and yet in this game he was as solid as a rock and looked composed and assured at all times. If there are any more like him coming through from The Strollers, then the future of the Club looks promising.

The game was nearly finished as a contest in the 77th minute. Johnny Whelan curled a measured pass out to Chris Fisher on the left and the youngster's first time effort nearly took the corner of bar and post away as it fizzed past a static Godfrey only to crash back out of the area such was the ferocity of the shot.

Four minutes later, Mark Gallagher strode down the middle before releasing Ross Jackson to his left. However the substitute's first touch was a poor one and again allowed Godfrey to advance from goal before blocking at close range. In a repeat performance two minutes later, Jackson again overhit the ball as he advanced on goal but this time elected to try to go round Godfrey although he was well wide of goal and only a few yards short of the byeline at the time. Godfrey checked out of making a challenge as Jackson's momentum took him over the prostate 'keeper who had gone to ground to cover any shot, but referee Martindale had a far side view of the incident (unlike every spectator in the stand) and believed that contact had been made by Godfrey. He was quite incorrect to do so, but these things balance themselves out over the course of a season and help to make up for the injustices (like Canning's denied penalty in the midweek downpour at Coatbridge) that The Spiders have suffered in recent weeks.

Neil Collins charged forward to grab the ball clearly confident in his belief that he could take over "the Caven role" and score his first goal for the Club, but Mark Gallagher had other ideas and imposed his seniority on Neil to take the ball from him. However, being team captain has its privileges and Johnny Whelan had the last word on the matter before confidently stepping up to neatly sidefoot the ball past Godfrey's despairing drive and into the 'keeper's bottom left hand corner.

That was the last noteworthy action of an entertaining contest in which East Fife also played their part by coming at Queen's in the second half rather than embarking upon a damage limitation exercise, so credit to them too.

This was the first occasion since the 0-0 draw with Dumbarton on 23rd February, and only the fourth time this season that John McCormack has been able to field the same starting line up as that from the previous game. For a coach who preaches the ethos of consistency as the key to success, this illustrates how a combination of injuries and individual's loss of form has burdened him heavily this season.
Ask him even now to name his preferred XI and he would be hard pushed to do so. Consider this, if he had everyone available to him (and even allowing for Caven's retirement), he could have begun with the following team yesterday which, on paper at least, looks just as strong as the side who won him such an impressive victory: Smith, Ferry, McVey, Sinclair, Cunningham, Proudfoot, Jackson, Marshall, Gemmell, Brown, Martin.
It is therefore of some concern to hear that Cowboy is pledging to get some older heads in for next season. Whilst the following remarks very much depend on how many players are lost during the close-season, there are two important lessons to be learnt from this season's adversities:
there is no point in bringing in on-loan players unless (like Paul Walker and Colin Stewart) they substantially improve upon the quality of player already in your squad
if you have good young players and a sufficiently large squad of them (the 22 players listed in the teams above and below), by having too many experienced players in your side you deny youth the opportunity to learn from mistakes, gain experience and flourish.
At present, players like Borland, Ferry, Proudfoot, Brown, Whelan and Gallagher provide a good nucleus of players around which youngsters can learn their craft. Adding another (or two at the most) experienced players to the squad would do no harm but hopefully there will not be a huge influx of players that other clubs have rejected during the summer otherwise we will have wasted a tremendous opportunity to take advantage of a youth set-up which is the envy of many.
Rather than go hell for leather to try and achieve promotion again next season by making a lot of changes, for the long term benefit of the Club, perhaps it would be better to settle for a mid-table "further learning" season so that the season after we would have a good squad of home grown players who are familiar with each other's style of play and who would also encourage "the conveyor belt of talent" from which we are only now really beginning to reap the benefits after Frank Reilly planted the seeds several years ago.
Next week Stirling Albion are the visitors to Hampden and, whilst in one sense it was good that they defeated East Stirlingshire yesterday, a draw might have suited our purposes better as a Spiders' win next Saturday would have had them very much looking over their shoulders at us!
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 4/5    STAR SPIDER : Jamie White
QUEEN’S PARK : Tony Mitchell, James Bruce, Paul Borland (Willie Martin - 79), Neil Collins, Jamie White, Anthony Quinn, Allan Dunning (Ross Jackson - 66), Johnny Whelan, Mark Gallagher, Stephen Canning, Chris Fisher (Jim Brown - 87)
EAST FIFE : Ross Godfrey, Willie Wilson, John Gallagher, Neil Oliver, Jonathon Thompson, Kenny Munro, James Herkes (Aaron Lofting - 78), Paul Mortimer, James Allan (Grant Cunningham - 46), Paul McManus, James Rae (Jimmy Nairn - 46)