Albion Rovers 2 v 1 Queen's Park 
Division 3
8th September 2001
Albion Rovers 2 v 1 Queen's Park
Division 3
8th September 2001
Scorers ~ Albion Rovers : McCormick (52), Booth (66 pen). Queen's Park : Caven (41 pen)
Attendance 387
This was a game Rovers simply had to win, and although the standard of play in the encounter against fellow strugglers Queen’s Park seldom matched the superb conditions, the Coatbridge lads undoubtedly deserved to come out on top and claim the points from their first league success of the season. When the visitors went ahead through a very soft first-half penalty, the omens were not too good, but a fine second-half performance saw Rovers grab the vital goals.
In the opening period, both goalkeepers seemed to have the jitters as Queen’s Graham Smith and home ‘keeper Chris Fahey found it difficult to make clean catches from what appeared to be comparatively easy balls. Smith did a bit of juggling before subduing a bouncing ball at the base of a post then Fahey let a Greg Miller shot rebound into the area before he gratefully fell on the loose ball. Quite frankly, much of the first period was a yawn, with only shots by Chris Silvestro and Ryan McMullan keeping the home fans interested. However, four minutes from the break, just inside the box Tom Tait and Gary McPhee were involved in an innocuous challenge which referee Calum Murray saw as meriting a penalty. Veteran Ross Caven made his usual competent job from the spot, and Queen’s enjoyed their half-time oranges even more than usual.
Whatever Rovers’ boss John McVeigh had to say to his lads at the interval - it worked! Just seven minutes into the second half, Rovers won a throw level with the eighteen yard line. Steve Hamilton launched a beauty into the heart of the box, Tom Tait nodded it on and there was Steve McCormick rising like a salmon near the back post to power a fierce header into the net. Some minutes after the unfortunate Hamilton had been replaced by David Carr, Rovers were given the opportunity to go ahead for the first time when Caven fouled Mark Booth in the area. Booth himself accepted the responsibility of taking the kick, and Smith was left scrambling as the midfielder’s shot scorched past him. Rovers were now cock a hoop and virtually dominated proceedings until the end with the frustrated visitors unable to counteract. Indeed, two of them, Chris Ewing and the ubiquitous Caven, were booked for some over-enthusiasm.
Albion Rovers : Fahey, Hamilton (Carr 59), Lumsden (McKenna 90), Smith Tait, Booth Waldie, Easton, McMullan, McCormick, Silvestro. Unused Subs : McLean, Harty, Shearer.
Queen’s Park : Smith, Canning, Marshall, Quinn, Cunningham (Martin 77), Caven, McPhee, G Miller, Ewing, K Miller (Bruce 77), Gallagher (Jackson 59).
Referee : Calum Murray.
Man of the Match : Colin Waldie
