Queen's Park 5 v 0 Albion Rovers

Attendance : 654

Scorers ~ Queen's Park : Weatherston (16), Kettlewell (53), Trouten (70 pen), Ferry (76, 80).

Rovers woes continued when their promotion hopes were dealt a massive blow by a five goal to nil drubbing at the National Stadium. Rovers line-up was depleted due to injury, with calibre players such as Ciaran Donnelly and Gordon Lennon unable to participate didn't help.

Within a couple of minutes former Spider Bryan Felvus was fouled at the side of the Queen's box, the striker took the free-kick himself but Bobby Thomson couldn't quite get his head to it. Queen's came close shortly afterwards when Steve Canning put the ball into the path of Stuart Kettlewell whose strike was a foot wide.

Rovers had their first decent attempt when Phil Creaney headed a Brian Smith cross which made 'keeper David Crawford stretch to stop. The 6' 2" goalie was called into action again soon after when a low and hard Scott Chaplain shot came in from the edge of the penalty area. Next Smith crossed to Pat Walker who in turn supplied it to Chaplain but the resultant header was saved.

As the skies darkened and torrential rain fell on Hampden Albion Rovers were on top and Creaney shot past the post. Things started to go downhill, when in 16 minutes David Weatherston streaked past the defence and slammed the ball low into Rovers net with debut 'keeper David Scott unable to do anything.

Chaplain then had a brace of shots fail, the first a free-kick from the edge of the Spiders area which blasted into the assembled wall. The second a fierce shot which rebounded from Alan Trouten on the goal line.

Queen's gaffer Billy Stark was incensed when his team were denied a penalty claimed when Trouten ran along the goal line from the edge of the pitch, the midfielder allegedly impeded en-route. He stayed on his feet and passed the ball in front of goal but nobody in black and white was able to get there.

Mark Ferry passed and Weatherston touched on the ball to Trouten who could have done better when one on one with Scott, the shot came off the stoppers legs.

An excellent Smith cross into the homesters box was met with an equally well judged diving header from Canning which ended any chance of a goal. Paul Ronald ended the first half with a speculative attempt which had Scott struggling to save but he managed to do so.

Half-Time

At half-time Jim Chapman brought Partick Thistle on-loan striker John McGoldrick on in place of Creaney.

A wayward Ferry attempt was followed by Queen's second goal, Ronald providing the pass to Kettlewell who ran in and skelped it past Scott.

Iain Chisholm replaced Tommy Lennox who had run himself into the ground. Kettlewell was on the far side and his low shot went across the face of the goal and out. A spate of offside decisions against their team aggravated the home support despite many of them being undisputable.

In 70 minutes Chisholm was adjudged to have brought down Weatherston on the goal line just inside the penalty area. Trouten was the man who placed the ball on the spot and put in a low shot close to the 'keepers left-hand post making it three for Queen's Park.

Ronald and Weatherston were brought off in 75 minutes and were replaced by Robert Dunn and Frankie Carroll. Within seconds of entering the field of play Dunn passed to Carroll who provided Ferry with a relatively easy close range goal.

Peter Watson did well to block a Canning ball then Smith crossed for Chisholm to head and Crawford to save. The rout was completed in 80 minutes with Paul Paton swing in a free kick which found its way to Mark Ferry to head past Scott into the net.

Summary

A decent first half performance by Rovers who just couldn't go that final step and score, the least said of the second half the better!

Queen's Park : Crawford, Paton, Dunlop, Canning, Agostini, Trouten, Kettlewell, Cairney (Quinn 80), Ronald (Dunn 75), Weatherston (Carroll 75), Ferry. Subs Not Used : Sinclair, Cairns.

Albion Rovers : Scott, Moffat, Lennox (Chisholm 63), Nicoll, Watson, Creaney (McGoldrick 46), Thomson, Chaplain, Felvus, Walker, Smith. Subs Not Used : Sim, Trialist, Thompson.

Referee : John Underhill

Man of the Match - Brian Smith

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