Spiders cruise it as City crumble
Gus hails improved display
Queen’s Park manager Gus MacPherson was beaming as the Spiders ruined Edinburgh City’s first ever trip to the National Stadium.
The Hampden Park side recovered from their 5-1 opening-day Betfred Cup defeat to Premiership Motherwell with a fighting 2-2 draw at Championship Morton on Tuesday, losing the penalty shoot-out 4-2 before entertaning the League Two side.
Dominic Docherty’s strike separated the teams at the break before a Chris McKee own goal and something of a fluke from Anton Brady made for a trying afternoon for City.
MacPherson commented: “We had tough games against Motherwell and Morton but this one was different as we had most of the possession. We asked the players to make the most of having the ball and there was a lot to be pleased about individually and collectively.”
No doubt with an eye on their League One opener, MacPherson made four changes from the side that started at Morton.
Ex-junior wing back Michael Bailey came in for his debut, midfielder David Green made his first start, and David Galt and Ton scorer Thomas Orr started up front.
Queen’s lined up 3-5-2, with Ross Millen, Kevin Green and Bryan Wharton behind Bailey, David Green, Docherty, Brady and skipper Sean Burns, and Orr and Galt up top.
It was an uneventful first 10 minutes but Bailey and David Green were busy early on down the right, and Kevin Green got in one good block from Grimes.
As the game hit the 15-minute mark, neither keeper had been asked to dirty his gloves, though both sides looked anxious to get the ball down and pass it.
Queen’s however, managed to take the lead on 19 minutes. Orr showed good tenacity to keep the ball on the left byline and then skip inside a defender before playing in Burns, whose slide-rule pass across the face of the goal was touched in at the near post by Docherty for his first Queen’s goal.
Sean Mackie got the game’s first yellow for a foot-up challenge on Galt in 37 minutes, and when Brady won a free kick deep on the left, Queen’s came so close to a second goal. In what looked like a training ground move, Galt swung the ball to the far post, Kevin Green rose to knock down a header, and Orr blasted a volley against the bar.
Queen’s were quick out the blocks after the interval as Orr almost had them two up inside two minutes. He showed good close control to make space in the box for a shot that was blocked.
The hosts had very noticeably picked up the pace and they deservedly got their second goal in 55 minutes. Orr was again heavily involved, stealing back possession in the box after having been blocked, then spinning and driving over a cross that McKee tried to clear but turned into his own net.
There were upsetting scenes on the hour, when City man Karadachki went down injured after a tackle and had to be carried off on a stretcher.
The unfortunate defender was still being wheeled round the track, having been subbed for Hall, when Queen’s went 3-0 ahead.
Brady stepped onto a slipped pass from Burns on the left byline and from the most acute of angles chipped the ball over the keeper and in at the far side net.
Grimes went close with a nice shot from outside the box in what was City’s first effort.
Orr then went off to a good ovation to make way for Ewan MacPherson who nearly struck a fourth, only for his overhead kick to rebound off the post.