Billy Stark's Spiders put in a valiant performance in front of a fantastic travelling support in Elgin, where their nine men held out against the eleven of Elgin City.
Sending off's for Mark Ferry and Richard Sinclair looked to have extinguished Spiders hopes of winning but the heroes in the orange and blue held out for twenty five minutes, two men down to record a marvellous victory in the Highlands.
Queen's lined up in the 3-5-2 formation which worked so well in midweek against lacklustre Hamilton Accies, David Crawford in goals had a defence of Damiano Agostini, Stephen Reilly and Richard Sinclair in front of him, while Shaun Mollioy replaced the injured Mick Dunlop at left wing back with Stuart Kettlewell on the right. The midfield consisted of Mark Ferry, Stephen Canning and Tony Quinn with David Weatherston and Frankie Carroll up front.
Spiders started the better side and played some neat football to get on top of their hosts but without creating many goalscoring chances, step forward David Weatherston whose endeavour on the right wing let him tee up Frankie Carroll one on one with keeper Renton, instead of shooting he squared to Mark Ferry at the back post and he fired the ball low past the keeper and into the corner. Bedlam on the terraces as Spiders took the lead.
Suddenly though Elgin raised their game and they looked much stronger, piling forward at the DC Dogg and his defence. They deservedly equalised on twenty eight minutes when DC made an error which allowed teenage striker Martin Charlesworth to lob the onrushing Spiders keeper. Elgin should have really been sitting pretty at 2-1 moments later when Charlesworth hit the ball straight at DC from three yards and Stevie Low had a neat finish ruled out for offside. He then rattled the post from close range, but Queen's got back into the game and re-took the lead on 41 minutes.
A cross from the right from the lively Weatherston found Quinn who played it to his left for Stephen Canning to slide the ball into an empty net as Renton struggled to get back across his goal. Spiders were back ahead and more bedlam on the terraces from the brilliant Spiders support to finish the half
HALF TIME: Elgin City 1 - 2 Queen's Park
As the sides took to the field there were notable tactical changes from the Spiders. They reverted to a back four of Kettlewell, Molloy, Agostini and Sinclair with Stephen Reilly and Tony Quinn in midfield with David Weatherston and Mark Ferry. Canning partnered Carroll up front.
Early in the second half failed to produce the same kind of excitement of the first and Richard Sinclair was booked for bouncing the ball off the ground in a stupid show of dissent towards blunder ref Alan Freeland, and ten minutes later the club captain was off after his accidental high boot in the box ended with City getting an indirect free kick. Now, the rules say you cannot book a player for an offence which ends with an indirect free kick, so techincally in the rules Sinky's sending off was nonsensical. It nearly paid off for Elgin as the free kick's deflection nearly took it into the bottom corner, instead it flashed just wide.
Moments later more madness from Queen's as Mark Ferry joined Richie on the sidelines, he audibly abused the linesman with some foul language and was booked, he apparently then used a sarcastic comment with some more bad language at Freeland and he was dismissed with two bookings in less than fifteen seconds, other teams would have piled everyone in defence but the introduction of Bowers for Carroll showed Stark's intention to keep going forward. They did that and kept City at bay even though Big D was forced into a fantastic goalline clearance with the goal at the mercy of Martin Johnstone.
The substitution of Quinn for new boy Paul Ronald again underlined Stark's attacking approach and the big former Dumbarton striker created what was the best chance of the whole half with moments left of the SEVEN added minutes. A lay off from Stephen Canning to Paul Ronald thirty yards out he took one touch rounded a defender and fired a rasping drive centimetres past the post of Renton.
The whistle finally went and the celebrations were wild players and fans alike, a great victory and now bring on the Shire.
QUEEN'S PARK: David Crawford, Stuart Kettlewell, Shaun Molloy, Stephen Reilly, Richard Sinclair, Damiano Agostini, Stephen Canning, Tony Quinn (Paul Ronald), Frankie Carroll (Richard Bowers), David Weatherston, Mark Ferry
SUBS NOT USED: Robert Dunn, Jonny Whelan, Mark Cairns (gk)
GOALSCORERS: Mark Ferry (14), Stephen Canning (41)
BOOKINGS: Richard Sinclair, Mark Ferry, Stephen Canning
SENT OFF: Richard Sinclair, Mark Ferry
ATTENDANCE: 537
MAN OF THE MATCH: Damiano Agostini, "Tenacious D" has made a solid start to the new campaign and continued his fine form with a great solid defensive performance, made two fine interventions when Elgin looked like scoring when Spiders had nine men.
Sending off's for Mark Ferry and Richard Sinclair looked to have extinguished Spiders hopes of winning but the heroes in the orange and blue held out for twenty five minutes, two men down to record a marvellous victory in the Highlands.
Queen's lined up in the 3-5-2 formation which worked so well in midweek against lacklustre Hamilton Accies, David Crawford in goals had a defence of Damiano Agostini, Stephen Reilly and Richard Sinclair in front of him, while Shaun Mollioy replaced the injured Mick Dunlop at left wing back with Stuart Kettlewell on the right. The midfield consisted of Mark Ferry, Stephen Canning and Tony Quinn with David Weatherston and Frankie Carroll up front.
Spiders started the better side and played some neat football to get on top of their hosts but without creating many goalscoring chances, step forward David Weatherston whose endeavour on the right wing let him tee up Frankie Carroll one on one with keeper Renton, instead of shooting he squared to Mark Ferry at the back post and he fired the ball low past the keeper and into the corner. Bedlam on the terraces as Spiders took the lead.
Suddenly though Elgin raised their game and they looked much stronger, piling forward at the DC Dogg and his defence. They deservedly equalised on twenty eight minutes when DC made an error which allowed teenage striker Martin Charlesworth to lob the onrushing Spiders keeper. Elgin should have really been sitting pretty at 2-1 moments later when Charlesworth hit the ball straight at DC from three yards and Stevie Low had a neat finish ruled out for offside. He then rattled the post from close range, but Queen's got back into the game and re-took the lead on 41 minutes.
A cross from the right from the lively Weatherston found Quinn who played it to his left for Stephen Canning to slide the ball into an empty net as Renton struggled to get back across his goal. Spiders were back ahead and more bedlam on the terraces from the brilliant Spiders support to finish the half
HALF TIME: Elgin City 1 - 2 Queen's Park
As the sides took to the field there were notable tactical changes from the Spiders. They reverted to a back four of Kettlewell, Molloy, Agostini and Sinclair with Stephen Reilly and Tony Quinn in midfield with David Weatherston and Mark Ferry. Canning partnered Carroll up front.
Early in the second half failed to produce the same kind of excitement of the first and Richard Sinclair was booked for bouncing the ball off the ground in a stupid show of dissent towards blunder ref Alan Freeland, and ten minutes later the club captain was off after his accidental high boot in the box ended with City getting an indirect free kick. Now, the rules say you cannot book a player for an offence which ends with an indirect free kick, so techincally in the rules Sinky's sending off was nonsensical. It nearly paid off for Elgin as the free kick's deflection nearly took it into the bottom corner, instead it flashed just wide.
Moments later more madness from Queen's as Mark Ferry joined Richie on the sidelines, he audibly abused the linesman with some foul language and was booked, he apparently then used a sarcastic comment with some more bad language at Freeland and he was dismissed with two bookings in less than fifteen seconds, other teams would have piled everyone in defence but the introduction of Bowers for Carroll showed Stark's intention to keep going forward. They did that and kept City at bay even though Big D was forced into a fantastic goalline clearance with the goal at the mercy of Martin Johnstone.
The substitution of Quinn for new boy Paul Ronald again underlined Stark's attacking approach and the big former Dumbarton striker created what was the best chance of the whole half with moments left of the SEVEN added minutes. A lay off from Stephen Canning to Paul Ronald thirty yards out he took one touch rounded a defender and fired a rasping drive centimetres past the post of Renton.
The whistle finally went and the celebrations were wild players and fans alike, a great victory and now bring on the Shire.
QUEEN'S PARK: David Crawford, Stuart Kettlewell, Shaun Molloy, Stephen Reilly, Richard Sinclair, Damiano Agostini, Stephen Canning, Tony Quinn (Paul Ronald), Frankie Carroll (Richard Bowers), David Weatherston, Mark Ferry
SUBS NOT USED: Robert Dunn, Jonny Whelan, Mark Cairns (gk)
GOALSCORERS: Mark Ferry (14), Stephen Canning (41)
BOOKINGS: Richard Sinclair, Mark Ferry, Stephen Canning
SENT OFF: Richard Sinclair, Mark Ferry
ATTENDANCE: 537
MAN OF THE MATCH: Damiano Agostini, "Tenacious D" has made a solid start to the new campaign and continued his fine form with a great solid defensive performance, made two fine interventions when Elgin looked like scoring when Spiders had nine men.