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QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 1 : 2 ALBION ROVERS

17th August 2004

Scott Rating: 6.04

S3 Paton Rating: 6.40

Thomson Rating: 6.35

Hilland Rating: 5.47

English Rating: 5.90

Bagan Rating: 5.37

McColligan Rating: 5.66

S1 Bowey Rating: 6.00

McLaughlin Rating: 5.75

1 S2 McNiven Rating: 5.67

Wood Rating: 5.49

SUBSTITUTES
S1 - 67 Burns Rating: 4.55	S2 - 76 Armstrong Rating: 4.37	S3 - 81 Scott	Payne	Wright

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Members of the Internet Fan Club can award players marks out of ten for their performance today. The player with the most points awarded in the two days following a match will be the IFC Man of the Match. All of the points will then be added to a running total for each player and the results published in the mom League Table.

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MATCH SUMMARY

With the worries regarding the fitness of certain players it was a pleasant surprise to see an almost full strength Queens starting eleven take to the field tonight, the only injured and missing player being Brian Reid who had his place taken by Paul Hilland. On the bench Stephen Payne came back into the squad and Graham Wright deputised for Craig Samson who was away on international duty with the Scotland Under 21's. It would then have been reasonable to expect almost the same side that destroyed St.Johnstone on Saturday to put in at the least a professional and proficient job in disposing of their lower league opponents. Unfortunately however the missed chances from the front men, the lackadaisical approach across the middle of the park and the comedy defending of the rear guard in the last eight minutes up against a gritty and well organised Albion Rovers side mean that it is the Coatbridge men who will face Brechin City in the next round of the competition next week.

Wood looks to square the ball across goal early on

The game itself took some time to get going indeed the first action of any note was a cut-back from Bowser headed for the inrushing David Bagan in the middle of the visitors penalty box that saw the midfielder being pulled down by a Rovers defender and a penalty kick awarded. Both Tommy English and David Bagan 'discussed' who was taking the penalty for a minute or two before captain Bowser stepped in and let the goal hungry striker do the necessary as he despatched the ball to the far right hand corner of the net giving Fahay in the Rovers goal no chance.

Fahay can only look back as McNiven scores from the spot

The fans were anticipating that this would kick-start the match and indeed for the remainder of the half the tempo of the match stepped up but it was not all Queens. Firstly Gary Wood and Steve Bowey contrived to deny each other a chance as they both challenged for a cross ball, then at the other end Colin Scott had to look sharp to get down to a Marc Mckenzie effort whilst moments later Paul McManus should have done better but was caught off balance as he turned and fired an effort past Colin Scott's post. The half finished with a Gary Wood header from an Eric Paton cross going just past the post.

Scott gets down well as Yardley crowds the box

With no changes at half-time Queens went out with an early intent to seal the match. Tommy English tried another edge of the box dipping shot and this time was just wide of the post but with the 'keeper well beaten. David Bagan turned the defence superbly and fired in a superb snapshot that Fahay somehow managed to palm away to safety when it had goal written all over it. Jim Thomson then produced a deft flicked cross onto the head of David McNiven but his effort was saved well by the 'keeper. Following a patient build up Gary Wood broke through the Albion defence and fired an effort at the 'keeper, the rebound was well saved and from the corner both Wood and McNiven had efforts that again were defended away.

An English chip goes just past the post with the 'keeper spectating

Steve Bowey was replaced by Paul Burns twenty minutes into the half and within a couple of minutes Paul McManus should have equalised for the visitors as a cross from the speedy Marc Mckenzie found him clear on Scott but he somehow managed to head past the post when it looked easier to score. At the other end Paul Burns was unlucky as he charged in at a tight angle to steer the ball back across goal from a Brian McColligan cross. Further changes were made as the game headed towards its conclusion with David McNiven replaced by Chris Armstrong and Eric Paton by Chris Scott. It was substitute Armstrong who almost settled the match as he collected an English cross, stepped to the side of his marker and sent a curling effort goalward, 'keeper Fahay though was equal to it and produced a stunning reaction save to push the ball away. The miss was to prove costly as moments later Queen's defence were caught out as a deep Mckenzie ball was met at the back post by Jim Mercer who stretched and prodded the ball into the net to equalise. And with the thought of extra time entering the heads of the fans it was quickly dismissed as the Rovers star man Marc Mckenzie made space down the right for a deep cross that was only half cleared to the edge of the box from where the original deliverer, Mckenzie, slammed it through a ruck of players and into the back of the net to settle the tie in the favour of the Coatbridge visitors. In summary Albion deserved their win, they took the match more seriously than the home side and showed greater determination throughout. Had any one of the numerous missed chances been put away then it would have been Queens going forward into the next round, however it was Albion than took their chances and who deservedly go into the next round.