Queen’s Park slump to 3 - 1 defeat against Forfar

Feb 24 2010 by Will Henshaw, Rutherglen Reformer

QUEEN’S Park slumped to a 3-1 defeat against Forfar at Hampden on Saturday.

The Spiders were hoping to build on their 2-1 won against Montrose the previous week, however the Sky Blues proved to be just too strong.

Ross Dunlop, Frankie Carroll and keeper Peter Hamilton were on the casualty list, while they were also missing Giuseppe Capuano and Martin McBride through suspension.

Keeper Mark McGeown and midfielder Paul Stewart both started against Montrose and young striker Ryan Martin got a late run.

Youngster Gavin Lachlan came in for his fourth start of the season and he was fortunate to have skipper Tony Quinn alongside him.

It was a promising start by Queen's. In the first minute a neat build-up involving Quinn and Murray set up a shot for Hamilton that was deflected for a corner

The corner came to nothing, but the same could not be said for Forfar's first attack.

The visitors took the lead the first time they ventured into the Queen's penalty area.

There were four minutes on the clock when Lachlan couldn't control a headed clearance and the ball dropped perfectly for Sellars, who rattled a shot behind McGeown.

Not the start Queen's would have envisaged, but they created a couple of chances when first Daly headed a Murray cross into Brown's arms and then Quinn only narrowly failed to connect with Douglas's left wing cross.

A training ground free kick routine almost saw Hamilton in and then Murray's attempt to get on the end of a nice inside pass from Douglas was stopped at the expense of a corner.

It was the first of three quick corners for Queen's as they applied a bit of pressure but with no reward.

Queen's were holding their own and Quinn almost brought them level with a fine header just over from another Douglas inswinger.

The difference in the teams' attacking potential was shown in 35 minutes, when Watson's glimpse at goal produced a shot off the post and a scrambled clearance over the bar by Brough.

Queen's may have been enjoying a fair share of possession but Forfar looked to be carrying more threat on the few occasions they got forward.

Queen's needed to support Daly, who was winning more than his share of ball up front against Forfar's big central defenders.

But a minute later that Forfar threat saw Queen's reduced to 10 men.

Harty got ahead of Little in a chase for a through ball and the Queen's man brought him down from the back outside the box.

Little saw red, the Forfar free kick came to nothing, and young Lachlan was sacrificed as another youngster, Paul Gallacher, came on to bolster the central defence.

There was a similar incident on 40 minutes when Daly was brought down from behind by Tod as he was heading for the box. This time referee McLean deemed it only a yellow card.

Queen’s went into the break trailing by a goal.

Gallacher was booked early after the restart for a professional foul near the halfway line.

McGeown was lucky when he missed a corner in a ruck of players, but was back on his line to take Gibson's shot low down.

Brown was called on to make his first save of the half, pushing a cracking Hamilton drive over the top.

That was the prelude for another Spiders burst, two quick corners followed by a good Murray run ended by a fine tackle from Bishop that had Queen's fans screaming 'penalty!'

Ross Campbell was booked for persistent fouling, Quinn his victim this time.

Referee McLean then had another last man tackle to adjudicate. This time Hamilton was stopped on the edge of the box by Ian Campbell in 64 minutes and again the referee determined it was a yellow card.

Douglas punished Forfar in the best way possible with a magnificent trademark free kick, thrashing the ball over the wall and into despairing keeper Brown's left hand top corner.

Game on - but not for long.

Five minutes later Forfar went in front as the Queen's defence went to sleep.

Hamilton did well to block a cross and concede a corner on the left. McGeown came for Ian Campbell's flag kick and got nowhere near it and Watson rose behind him to head high into the net.

And it was 3-1 for Forfar in 72 minutes when Harty was found in acres of space inside the box by Ian Campbell and the veteran striker nutmegged McGeown.

Henry then came on for Walker.

Queen's were still going forward, but it was very subdued in the stands. Quinn again went close with a flying header, turning a Stewart cross just over.

Queens Park: McGeown, Walker (Henry 75), Brough, Little, Douglas, Lauchlan (Gallagher 40), Stewart, Anthony Quinn, Chris Hamilton (Holms 83), Daly, Murray. Subs not used: Gordon McPherson, Watt.

Watch Queen’s in action on QPTV, and keep up to date with all the latest Queen’s Park news on the official club website at: www.queensparkfc.co.uk.