By The Spider
March 3 2004

Tuesday, 2nd March, 2004 East Stirlingshire 2 Queen's Park 4 (Bells Scottish League – Third Division)

Should beleaguered Queen’s coach Kenny Brannigan make it to the end of his tenure at Hampden and be able to look back on his spell with satisfaction, he will owe a great debt of gratitude to Danny Ferry and Derek Carcary whose recent performances have regenerated a sluggish looking outfit. Last night it was Derek Carcary’s turn to excel, and it’s already beginning to look as if Queen’s main hope of “keeping” him for next season could be for a full time outfit to take him on and then loan him back to The Spiders to continue to gain valuable experience.

Anyway, this re-scheduled fixture against East Stirlingshire was again in doubt, but passed its noon inspection. Queen’s made one change from the side that defeated Peterhead three days previously, with Damiano Agostini replacing David Stewart.

As has been the pattern recently, the game got off to a whirlwind start with two goals in the opening minutes. The home side were first to strike when, straight from kick-off, they drove towards the Queen’s area winning a direct free kick at the edge of the area. Up stepped Sean McAuley to curl a shot over the wall and into the far corner.

Stung by this setback, Queen’s hit back immediately and equalised in the 4^th minute when a deep cross from the right fell kindly into the path of David McCallum who drilled a fierce low left foot shot past Todd with the aid of a wicked deflection.

Queen’s then took complete command of the game and began to create a series of good chances.

In the 7^th minute Ally Graham headed narrowly past from a corner. Then, on the quarter of an hour mark, the same player sent a right foot snapshot narrowly past.

Derek Carcary was linking well with the big striker and he fed off big Ally to fire in a left foot shot which was saved by Todd.

Baldwin came close for the home side in the 22^nd minute when he embarked on a good run infield before shooting narrowly past Scrimgour’s right hand post.

Queen’s were quickly back up the other end again though and Derek Carcary’s header from an Allan Dunning cross was acrobatically tipped over by Todd. From the resultant corner, Ally Graham’s header was cleared off the line, Jonny Whelan’s attempt at the rebound blocked, whilst Stephen Canning’s swift swipe at the spinning loose ball ended up at the corner flag.

As Queen’s continued to pummel the home defence, Jonny Whelan sent a header just over the crossbar whilst another effort from Carcary went narrowly wide. Then a beautifully judged angled lob with deliberate slice from Whelan looped onto the top of the net.

A second goal just had to come and did so in the 28^th minute when Ally Graham glanced home an inswinging free kick from David McCallum. Queen’s appeared in no mood to let ‘Shire off the hook and resumed their siege of their opponents’ half.

Stephen Canning hammered a cross across the face of the goal and then Todd held a Ross Clark direct free kick. Then just before half time, Stevie Reilly headed powerfully over the bar.

It was more of the same after the interval and a David McCallum low drive missed the back post by a matter of inches.

Left midfielder Baldwin was booked for ‘Shire in the 52^nd minute for kicking the ball away, and then Ross Clark hitch-kicked a volley narrowly past.

Amazingly, and totally against the run of play, the home side equalised in the 61^st minute. Sean McAuley was given far too much time and room 20 yards out, and his accurate shot curled its way into just inside Derek Scrimgour’s right hand post.  ‘Shire almost had the audacity to take the lead a minute later when they broke away quickly again, but this time Ure's final effort went narrowly past.

Queen’s were in no mood to feel sorry for themselves and picked up the pace even more. They were rewarded just a couple of minutes later when Derek Carcary latched onto a rebound inside the ‘Shire area to lash the ball with his left foot past the bemused Todd. The youngster’s goal sparked tremendous celebrations amongst the Queen’s players who quickly buried the youngster at the bottom of a seven or eight man pile!

Substitute Frankie Carroll was looking very lively and his 71^st minute shot on the turn was fired straight at Todd. Derek Carcary then broke clear of the home defence to round Todd, but the youngster’s final effort was cleared off the line by a retreating defender.

Within seconds, young Derek was clean through on Todd again, but this time he slightly overhit the ball whilst on the run, thereby allowing the ‘keeper to get close enough to him to block the shot that followed. The ball rolled out for a throw in which was clearly in Queen’s favour, but referee Chris Boyle must have been the only man in the ground who thought otherwise, and this latest in a series of inexplicable decisions seemingly provoked young Derek into offering an opinion, for which he was booked.

Boyle is still young for a referee, and has time on his side, but until he learns that the best referees remain in the background of a game, then his aggressive and confrontational style of refereeing is going to find him no favours with players and fans alike.

The game was put beyond doubt in the 79^th minute when Stevie Reilly latched onto a deflection and coolly sidefooted the ball across the onrushing Todd and into the postage stamp corner.

Queen’s began to showboat a bit at this point, and in taking their foot off the pedal, created far fewer chances than they had up to that point.

Ross Clark was still keen to drive forward though, and a forceful run towards three retreating defenders earned Darren Millar a deserved booking for a deliberate trip on the Queen’s midfielder.

Another substitute, Stuart Kettlewell, had the final goal effort of the night, but like so many before it, his 89^th minute strike was narrowly wide of the mark.

Saturday sees the visit of lowly Elgin City to Hampden, and Kenny Brannigan will probably never have a better opportunity of leading his charges to the much coveted three wins in a row status.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 4/5

STAR SPIDER :  Derek Carcary (scared the living daylights out of the entire ‘Shire defence)

QUEEN’S PARK : Derek Scrimgour, Danny Ferry, David McCallum, Allan Dunning, Damiano Agostini, Ross Clark, Stephen Canning (Stuart Kettlewell – 66), Stevie Reilly, Ally Graham (Frankie Carroll – 46), Jonny Whelan, Derek Carcary (Paul Harvey – 78)

Subs (not used) : David Crawford (G/K), Martin Bonnar

Scorer(s) : McCallum (4), Graham (28), Carcary (64), Reilly (79)

Booked :  Carcary (73 – dissent)

EAST STIRLINGSHIRE : Chris Todd, Craig Reid, Graham McLaren, Robert Hare (Darren Millar – 52), Chris Newall, Graham McGhee, Scott Livingstone, Sean McAuley, Kevin Ford (Stuart Kelly – 59), Derek Ure, Chris Baldwin

Subs (not used) : Ross Gilpin (G/K), Dougie Pollwart, Trialist

Scorer(s) : McAuley (1, 61)

Booked : Baldwin (52 – dissent), Millar (86 – deliberate foul)

REFEREE :  Chris Boyle *  (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)