Queen's Park 1 v 2 Albion Rovers 
Division 3
27th October 2001
Queen's Park 1 v 2 Albion Rovers
Division 3
27th October 2001
Attendance : 518
Scorers ~ Queen’s Park : Quinn (25). Albion Rovers : Harty (19), McLean (81).
What a difference a week makes! After Rovers’ swashbuckling showing to take a point from Stirling Albion in the last game, this win at Hampden was one which the Coatbridge lads had to work very hard to secure, for although ten-man Queen’s were no great shakes, at times they made things difficult for the visitors. With the normally-reliable Mark Booth failing by inches to score from the spot, there were a few anxious moments before substitute Charlie McLean - with his first competitive goal for the club - notched what proved to be the winner nine minutes from the end, hoisting Rovers into fourth place in the table. Referee Eddie Mack incurred the wrath of the myopic home support on many occasions - these morons will have to realise that there are two teams on the park and that it’s not only the opposition who are the baddies!
Still without Chris Fahey and Tom Tait, but with last week’s injury victim Iain Diack somewhat surprisingly in the line-up, Rovers gradually gained control of the vital midfield area and made tracks for the Queen’s goal. Jamie McKenzie fired wide from a Diack header, then from another McKenzie grounder, Martin Harty’s instinctive toe-poke sent the ball just over the crossbar. Then Jordan Smith sent over an inviting cross, but Booth’s header was comfortably held by Tony Mitchell in the home goal. The deserved breakthrough was only delayed however, as in the 19th minute Harty strode on to an incisive through ball to beat Mitchell low inside a post. Rovers continued to push forward and just minutes later, another McKenzie try was deflected for a corner.
In the 25th minute - and completely out of the blue - Queen’s were back in the hunt when from a corner on the right, Chris Silvestro’s sliced clearance might have been heading for his own net until Scott Shearer palmed the ball away. Unfortunately, it fell at the feet of the waiting Tony Quinn at the back post and he blasted in from a tight angle to restore equality. Queen’s, encouraged by this success, again surged forward and Shearer did well to save a Ross Jackson drive. The remainder of the first period was quite without note except for late bookings for the Hampden men’s Quinn and Danny Ferry and a splendid Jamie McKenzie free-kick which stuck a post.
In 52 minutes, Rovers had a narrow escape when a throw-in by Paul Borland was allowed to bounce into the box but from no more than four yards out, Jackson somehow managed to hook it over the bar. Around the hour point there was a flurry of excitement when Borland was booked for a foul, Paul Bonar almost broke through and Rovers were awarded a penalty when Borland downed Booth in the box. Borland was red-carded for his folly. Naturally enough, Booth took the spot-kick himself but his shot was just a couple of inches too high and the ball crashed off the underside of the crossbar and bounced to safety.
Undismayed by the bad luck, Rovers again surged forward and Jordan Smith, at the back post, just failed to connect with an angled pass. Booth was again in the picture but sliced his final shot well wide and a cross by McLean was scrambled for a corner by the home defence. With it beginning to look as if Rovers might have to settle for a share of the points, the winner arrived in 81 minutes. A devastatingly penetrating run up the left by Bonar finished with him sliding over a low cross and McLean, waiting at the near post, deftly flicked the ball into the net before anyone could move.
Queen’s gamely tried to retrieve matters with some good play from Stephen Marshall on the left wing, but Rovers - for whom scorer Harty was a late booking - easily contained the threat until the final whistle.
Queen’s Park : Mitchell, Ferry, Borland, Quinn, Collins, Caven, Paterson (Brown 59), Stevenson, Jackson (Gemmell 75), Rae (Canning 82), Marshall. Unused Subs : Orr, Devlin.
Albion Rovers : Shearer, Smith, Lumsden (McKenna 71), Hamilton, McKenzie, Booth, Waldie, Silvestro (McLean 71), Harty, Diack (McMullan 55), Bonar. Unused Subs : Easton, Fahey.
Referee : Eddie Mack
Man of the Match : Colin Waldie
