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QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 1 : 0 ROSS COUNTY 11th December 2004
Scott
Rating: 7.01
Paton
Rating: 7.37
Thomson
Rating: 7.48
Craig
Rating: 8.04
English
Rating: 6.25
Burns
Rating: 7.11
S2
Bagan
Rating: 7.01
Bowey
Rating: 7.03
Gibson
Rating: 6.22
1 S1
Lyle
Rating: 7.71
McLaughlin
Rating: 7.39
SUBSTITUTES
S1 - 83
Wood
S2 - 84
McColligan
Jaconelli
McNiven
Barnard
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Name or IFC No.
MATCH SUMMARY
With the rare luxury of being able to name the same side as last week, Iain Scott made only one change as a free from suspension Gary Wood took over a seat on the bench at the expense of Stephen Payne. The settled formation were soon on the back foot however as the visitors signalled their intent to play open attractive football from the off. Indeed it was only after conceding a couple of very early corners to the Staggies that Queens began to take a grip of the match - primarily in the middle of the park where David Bagan and Steve Bowey were outstanding.

Paul Burns was looking very lively in the first few minutes as he was sent down the right by Eric Paton, Burns then turned inside his marker and held him off into the box before striking a shot from an acute angle that crashed off the inside of the opposite post just eluding a couple of Queens players on its way back out of the box. A minute later and it was Burns again this time providing a superb cross across the face of the goal that Brian McLaughlin just couldn't quite reach as he lunged goalward. Both sides were playing attractive and open football but after the first ten minutes real goal chances were at a premium until the half hour.

Lyle celebrates his goal
Just on the half hour the lively Derek Lyle was helpfully put through on goal following a mix up by two Staggies defenders around 40 yards out. Lyle didn't need to be asked twice and ran free to capitalise on the mistake by burying the effort in the back of the net and giving Stewart no chance in the visitors goal. Three minutes later though and County almost equalised as a soft free kick awarded 25 yards out was played to the far side of the box before being headed back across goal and with two county forwards clear in on goal neither could direct the ball goalward.

A free shot is squandered by two County forwards
With the tempo still high it was Queens who were next to threaten as the half-time break approached. Steve Bowey almost sticking the ball past Stewart as the 'keeper had to reach full length to push the ball away for a corner. However the next chance was even better and this time fell to Ross County and to that man Alex Burke who did everything right - almost. He received the ball wide right and proceeded to turn Jim Thomson inside out before twisting once more in the box and attempting to curl the ball past Colin Scott, fortunately though his effort was just past the post. That was that for the first half.

Lyle back defending
The second half started off at the same tempo although it was soon evident that Queens were to sit back a little and that the bulk of play was going to be in the home half of the pitch. With a quarter hour of the match gone a slip on the left hand side by Tommy English let in Jamie McCunnie who fired in a fierce cross that was just kept out. Then a minute later and former Queens favourite Alex Burke was unlucky to see his effort pushed out by Colin Scott and then Jim Thomson showed his sharpness by just clipping the ball away from an incoming County forward.

With Iain Scott urging his side to play the game further up the park the message finally got through and for the last fifteen minutes Queens regained the upper hand with a couple of chances. One from Paul Burns that just slipped past and one leathered goalward by Willie Gibson that Stewart was positioned well to save. The last ten minutes saw the Gary Wood replace Derek Lyle and Brian McColligan replace David Bagan.

Stewart palms away Gibson's effort
In summary this was the best performance seen at Palmerston for quite a few weeks and in particular the first half performance saw Queens re-asserting themselves in midfield with Derek Lyle looking better and better every week as the outlet of their efforts.


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