Albion Rovers 0 v 2 Queen's Park 
Scottish Cup 2nd round replay
14th January 2003
Albion Rovers 0 v 2 Queen's Park
Scottish Cup 2nd round replay
14th January 2003
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Attendance : 404
Scorers ~ Queen’s Park : Allan (18), Martin (84).
Albion Rovers crashed out of the Scottish Cup after falling to a couple of sucker punches from the Hampden amateurs. Rovers had a good opening fifteen minutes, fell away somewhat after Queen’s scored and had a good second half in which much good leading-up play failed to produce the necessary reward. The crucial point came in that second period when manager Peter Hetherston gambled by withdrawing three defenders to recast his side in a more attacking mode. Although it did produce much more in the way of goal chances, the plan backfired when the depleted rearguard was posted missing as Queen’s strode forward in numbers to notch the killer second goal.
Rovers started quite brightly and in 8 minutes there was an almighty scramble in the visiting box, ended only by a desperate clearance for a corner from which Peter Cormack headed inches wide of the upright. In a Queen’s breakaway, John Gemmell might have done better that trundle a weak shot into Scott Shearer’s arms, before a good cross by John Bradford eluded all boots, friendly or otherwise.
Completely out of the blue, the Spiders took the lead in the 18th minute when the ball reached James Allan about 22 yards out. His awkwardly bouncing shot beat the diving Shearer and entered the net at a post. It was certainly a shock for the home fans who were stunned into silence.
There were few moments of note in the remaining 27 minutes of the half. However, Iain Diack and Andy Paterson managed to get themselves booked, and Shearer had to rush from his area to clear from the advancing Gemmell.
Within moments of the second half starting, Tony Mitchell in Queen’s goal did well do smother the ball before Diack could get in his shot, and a few minutes later Paterson, on the edge of the six-yard box, fired in a good drive which Mitchell parried for a corner. On the hour, in the first of the tactical changes, Kevin McAllister came off the bench to replace Jordan Smith and there did seem to be an added urgency to the moves forward. In 63 minutes, Chris Silvestro let fly with a fierce drive which whistled inches past, then Diack’s left-foot effort was blocked by Mitchell who within seconds dived to clutch Bradford’s header. It seemed as if Rovers were bound to draw level, but sandwiching a pathetic shot by Jim Mercer when in good position, Willie Martin twice gave notice that the visitors were still a threat.
Charles McLean replaced Jered Stirling, Cormack was booked then replaced by Jim Dick before the amateurs killed the tie. No fewer than four black and white hooped players found themselves behind the missing home defence and it fell to Martin to slide the ball past Shearer for number two. That was that, and with only time for Rovers’ McLean and Queen’s Ferry to get themselves booked, Rovers’ dreams of cup glory were in tatters.
Albion Rovers : Shearer, Paterson, Stirling (McLean 73), Smith (McAllister 60), Cormack (Dick 83), Lumsden, Mercer, Silvestro, Bradford, Diack, McCaig. Unused Subs : Weir, Fahey.
Queen’s Park : Mitchell, Lappin, Ferry, Moffat, Agostini, Fallon, Martin, Whelan, Gemmell (Menelaws 80), Clark, Allan (Fisher 87). Unused Subs : Taggart, Kettlewell, Lamb.
Referee : Andrew Hunter
Man of the Match : Iain Diack
