So the 11 read like this before kick off: Cairns, Paton, Dunlop, Reilly, Ronald, Canning, Kettlewell, Quinn, Dunn, Weatherston and Ferry and right from the start QP took the game to the Shire, Tony Quinn heading over from six yards after Paul Ronald's pinpoint cross from the right hand side. Dunn then completely missed a Weatherston cutback when position six yards out and Shire keeper Tiropolous made three great saves from Canning, Ronald and Weatherston.
This game was taking the shape of a regular Queen's game, all the play, all the chances but no goals and the inevitable sucker punch came after 34 minutes. A soft free kick on the edge of the box was slammed low towards goal by Stewart and after deflections off Reilly and Dunlop it ended up in the net.
Mick Dunlop missed a glorious chance minutes later when he headed just wide from Paul Paton's corner and Mark Ferry also came close with a drive from range. The half time whistle then blew, with Queen's knowing they had a mountain to climb.
HALF TIME: East Stirlingshire 1 - 0 Queen's Park
The second period started in simliar fashion to the first as Queen's created a number of scoring opportunites. Dunn, Kettlewell, Weatherston, Ferry and Ronald had all came close within minutes of the restart and then the shocking referee Craig Charleston somehow didn't award QP a stonewall penalty.
Shire defender Oates dived to his right with two arms outstretched and tipped the ball round the post for a corner, surely a spot kick no according to Charleston, a decision which infuriated the Queen's Park support, players and coaching staff alike. We finally got the goal our play had deserved a few minutes later though when Carl Tywhissen's clearance fell to Ronald 20 yards out and his tame left shot squirmed past Tiropolous and into the bottom corner. Wild celebrations and now the Queen's players believed but that was to be undone by a moment of madness from Steven Canning.
A harmless ball floated across the Queen's penalty area and unbelievably Canning headed the ball into Mark Cairns' top corner, agony for Queen's as they lost more ground in the promotion race, our next game is away at Arbroath and I won't be there, check out the official website (www.queensparkfc.co.uk) or www.queensparkfansite.cjb.net for match reports on the Arbroath encounter.
Here's hoping we set the record straight at Gayfield on the 14th.
QUEEN'S PARK: Mark Cairns, Paul Paton, Mick Dunlop, Stephen Reilly, Paul Ronald , Steven Canning, Stuart Kettlewell, Tony Quinn (Richard Bowers), Robert Dunn (Alan Trouten), David Weatherston, Mark Ferry
SUBS NOT USED: David Crawford, Damiano Agostini, Shaun Molloy
GOALSCORER: Paul Ronald (64)
BOOKING(S): Tony Quinn, Alan Trouten, Stephen Reilly
ATTENDANCE: 364
REFEREE: Craig Charleston
MAN OF THE MATCH: Paul Ronald, Gave it his all and is the only Queen's player bar big Quinno, who deserves any sort of praise after a dismal team showing.