By The Spider
July 28 2002

Friday, 26th July Lancaster City 3 Queen's Park 1 (Pre-season friendly)

REPORT COURTESY OF ALAN RHODES AT QPFC.COM

Queen's went on their traditional North of England pre-season tour this weekend where the first calling point was Lancaster, where last year Queen's went down 2-0. This year the margin of defeat was the same but the display (especially up front) was much improved. Now I could try and bluff here, but as I'm writing this two days after the event (and after a few pre-match drinks) my recollection is somewhat hazy.

However, I do recall that Lancaster took the lead after five minutes when Kilbane headed past Mitchell from a corner. That was the only goal of the first half, Queen's best chance coming with a strong header from Gemmell after a cross from Ferry.

In the second half Queen's tried to fight back and Paddy Gallagher had an effort deflected past the post, while good work from James Allan set up Gemmell but he missed the target. Mitchell prevented Lancaster extending their lead in 52 minutes with a great save from an overhead kick by Bennett, but Queen's did fall further behind in 74 minutes, again from a corner, when Butler headed past Mitchell.

The margin was soon back to one goal, as two minutes later Chris Fisher scored from sixteen yards with a shot that went in off the post. Unfortunately there was a third goal in as many minutes, when Lancaster went up the park and Butler scored another header from an Atkinson cross.

That was the end of the scoring, and there were a lot more positives from this year's game than there were last year. Queen's caused Lancaster far more problems at the back and their keeper was certainly not a spectator, as he had been twelve months ago.

ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 2/5  SUPREMO'S STUNNER : Damiano Agostini

QUEEN’S PARK : Tony Mitchell, Danny Ferry, John Gallagher, Steven Moffat, Damiano Agostini, Stephen Marshall, Stephen Canning, Gordon Lappin (Stuart Jack - 46), John Gemmell, Ross Jackson (Paddy Gallagher - 46), Jimmy Allan (Chris Fisher - 73)

LANCASTER CITY : Mark Thornley, Andy Fensome, Lee Prior, Paul Sparrow, Farrell Kildane, Graeme Atkinson, Stewart Clitheroe, Brian Butler, Phil Brown, Brian Welch, Chris Perkins. Subs : Andy Speight (GK), Chris Bennett, Kevin Holliday, Nathan Pond, Paul Rigby, ???? Staniford, Phil Thompson