Official Queen of the South Site

Gordon Chisholm rang the changes for the vital Scottish Cup trip to Peterhead, making five changes. In came Eric Paton, Andy Aitken and Paul Burns, back from injury, together with Stephen Dobbie and Brian Gilmour. Out went McQuilken, McFarlane and Robertson onto the bench and Jamie Mole altogether as well as David Bingham , not allowed to play by Gretna. The most familiar face in the Peterhead line up was probably that of Bobby Mann, the former ICT and Dundee centre half.

The home side dominated the early exchanges without ever really going very close to a goal although Kozminski did force MacDonald into a tip over inside the first ten minutes with a header. A few minutes later he was a yard or two wide with a prod from Bavidge's cross. Queens offered little in the opening quarter hour but should have scored with their first chance when Dobbie's clever ball freed O'Connor in the box. Goalkeeper Michael Kula blocked his first effort but when the ball came back to the big striker there really can't be much excuse for his planting it over the open goal from eight yards!

Bavidge was next to have a pot at goal after Tosh was caught in possession but his shot also went wide. Out of the blue though Queens grabbed the lead on 25 minutes courtesy of a shocking back pass by Bobby Mann, he was about ten yards short of pace with his ball and Stephen Dobbie burst clear on goal before burying the ball in the bottom right corner past the helpless keeper.

Brian Gilmour twice went reasonably close with pots at goal before the advantage was doubled just before the break. Paul Burns did well to get a cross in from the left and O'Connor's volley was blocked by a defender. Sean retrieved possession though and played back to Scally who moved it on wide to Gilmour. The winger bided his time before sliding a perfect ball down the line to the overlapping Harris and his cut back was turned home by O'Connor from six yards.

Queens started the second period in much more dominant form and O'Connor forced an excellent save from Kula on 54 minutes. The third was delayed only two minutes though as a magnificent ball from Burns set O'Connor through again and, though the keeper blocked his initial effort, the big man was first to his feet to turn home the loose ball. It was one way traffic now and Scally was next to test Kula with a daisycutter from 25 yards. Next up Tosh warmed the keeper's hands and O'Connor's rebound went wide. Stuart Anderson picked up a booking for a foul on Scally as the home side tried to get back into the game but from the free kick Dobbie's dipping shot on the turn went narrowly over.

At last the home side showed up in the second half though and Bavidge fired a shot across the face of goal midway through the half. With quarter of an hour to go Ian Good headed over Sharpe's free kick from the left side. Surprisingly the hosts waited until the 78th minute to make their first sub but then did two at once as Istead and Donald replaced Anderson and McKay. Bavidge immediately evaded the attentions of Jim Thomson to fire a shot narrowly over before Jim Thomson's crude challenge in the box on Sharpe earned the home team a penalty. Konrad Kozminski though hammered his strike off the crossbar and away. When it's your day then it's your day!

Up the other end O'Connor thought he had his hat trick but the offside flag foiled him before John O'Neill replaced him on 83 minutes. He was soon followed on by Scott Robertson who replaced Brian Gilmour with three minutes left. Straight away it was 4-0 as Tosh's right sided corner was controlled and hammered home by Dobbie. And then on 90 minutes it was five! With the last kick of the game Paul Burns rounded Kula to stroke home his first of the season just after Steve Tosh had been named man of the match. All in all, most certainly mission accomplished.

Ewan Lithgow