Queen’s Park vs Stenhousemuir

Match Report

Queens Park v Stenhousemuir at Hampden Park, Glasgow on 28.11.20

SPFL League Two

Queens Park 3 [Kilday 38, McHugh 87, Murray 90]]      Stenhousemuir 1 [Biabi 12]

Queens Park – Muir, Doyle, Kilday, Morrison, Robson, Gillespie [b90], Lyon, Galt [b90], Baynham [McLean 63], Quitongo [Murray 74] and McHugh.

Subs – Bell, Gillies,  McGlinchey and Biggar

Stenhousemuir – Martin, Tiffoney [b63], Munro [b72], Little, Watters, Hodge, Biabi [Graham 87], Tapping, Blair, Muir [McGuigan 45] and Spence.

Subs – Erskine,  McQueen, Halleran, Grigor and Shiels.

Referee – David Lowe.             Referee – Andy Taylor and Colin Drummond

The Warriors made  several changes to the back line for this game. Jonathan Tiffoney and Creag Little returned after covid restrictions but Callum Yeats missed  his first league game of the season to be replaced by Ryan Watters. Up front Mark McGuigan and Cammy Graham dropped to the bench with Tommy Muir returning to the forward line after his recent defensive duties.

It was an eerie Hampden Park with only a handful of people dotted around a stadium that holds over 50,000. The home side were sitting proudly at the top of the table having relinquished their amateur status and instead going to full time football instead. The change has been beneficial on the field as going into this game they had failed to concede a goal in their five games.

The game started with the home side causing Stenhousemuir all sorts of problems with Jai Quitongo in particular getting into the danger area with too much regularity and Stenhousemuir could have quite easily found themselves at least one goal down.

Eventually a goal did come but it was at the other end when Botti Biabi met a Tommy Muir head flick and showed composure to steer the ball past Willie Muir after 12 minutes play. Although Stenhousemuir had their moments Queens looked the most likely to score and they eventually equalised when Lee Kilday scored from close range after 38 minutes after meeting a whipped cross by David Galt.

The Warriors suffered misfortune just before the end of the half when Tommy Muir picked up an injury in a collision at a Queens Park corner kick and was unable to continue.

The second half was a steadier affair with few chances in the opening stages and it took until the hour mark before the first real chance came but Quitongo blasted over the bar. Queens substitutions though were to have an impact on the game. Ross MacLean came close with a cross come shot just after his introduction but it was Simon Murray who caused the real problems. A glancing header by the striker went just wide in the 76^th minute.

The visitors were for the most part keeping Queens at bay and looking to hit on the break though Willie Muir was rarely called into action.

After some resolute defending it was ironic that when the home side took the lead it was partly down to poor defending as Creag Little facing his old club for the first time was weak with a tackle and Bob McHugh took full advantage to fire the ball into the net.

Worse was to follow in time added on when the Spiders scored their third when Murray was the recipient of dreadful defending by Ryan Blair to tuck the ball home. That was the end of the scoring but worse was to follow once again for Stenhousemuir when Tiffoney had to be helped off the park through injury after a late tackle by David Galt.

In the end this was not the best of days for the Warriors after picking up two injuries as well as a defeat but the performance didn’t reflect the final score-line though Queens did have the majority of the play and worked hard for their victory.