HALLOWE’EN HORROR SHOW
Frightful show from Spiders gives Wasps a buzz
Queen’s Park manager Gus MacPherson reckons Alloa fully deserved their victory over the Spiders – but he could not fault his side’s effort.
The Hampden Park gaffer told The Reformer ahead of the match the visitors would thrive on the quality surface at the national stadium.
And MacPherson was not wrong as The Wasps enjoyed a comfortable win in the end thanks to Queen’s lapses in concentration.
An interception in the middle of the park led to Alloa gaining a half-time lead before a counter attacks and two set pieces led to their goals after the interval.
MacPherson said: “It was disappointing. You can see if you don’t play as well as you possibly can, you will be punished. But we have no complaints. We didn’t deserve to take anything from that.”
Commenting on conceding the second goal, MacPherson continued: “I think it was Alloa’s first opportunity [of the second half], it was just a clearance up field and within 15 or 20 seconds from when we were putting them under pressure, we find ourselves 2-0 down. And you can see at that point the heads go down.”
The teams cancelled each other out in the first 20 minutes and there was little to enthuse the crowd or worry either keeper, although that was the cue for Ciaran Summers to fire Queen’s first shot well over.
But the game burst into life in 26 minutes when Alloa took the lead.
Anton Brady, who seconds earlier had been nursing a knock, lost possession in midfield and the ball was shuttled through to Crossan who ran in on goal to score.
The goal had lifted Alloa, and it took a good block from Kevin Green in 38 minutes to divert an Iain Flannigan shot into Muir’s arms.
Queen’s produced more of an attacking threat but they were hit with a sucker punch on the hour. One minute Queen’s were in the Alloa box when Galt went down under a challenge, and the next Alloa had counter attacked at pace down the left through Crossan who teed up Craig Malcolm with a low cross to fire the ball high into the net. Both teams made substitutions on 67 minutes and they arrived just in time to see Alloa put the game to bed with considerable home help.
Flannigan fired over a free kick from wide left, Andy Graham connected with the merest of glancing headers, and the ball squirmed through Muir’s raised hands and into the net.
Moments later Summers sent a fine shot just wide and Kevin Cawley had one deflected for a corner, but the unmarked Daryll Meggatt made no mistake with a strong header five minutes from time to put Alloa 4-0 up.
It was a Hallowe’en horror show and MacPherson is under no illusions how difficult this weekend’s match will be away to Stranraer.
He said: “We need to play better and get back to the standards we’ve set. Nobody is questioning the commitment of the players or the effort of the players. We’ve got a tough game against Stranraer but no matter who we play it’s always going to be tough.
“Like all teams in this league, they have experienced, good players and they also have threats in wide areas.”