Galt puts gloss on Hampden victory
QUEEN’S PA RK 2 MORTON 0
QUEEN’ S PARK shocked Morton 2- 0 at Hampden thanks to an Adam Cummins header just before half-time and David Galt’s wonder strike just after it.
The visitors, however, were almost gifted the lead on 19 minutes when Queen’s goalkeeper Andrew Murphy was too casual when dealing with a passback and Gary Oliver took the ball off his toes.
Rather than shooting from a tight angle, Oliver tried to dribble his way to goal and he was eventually crowded out and the chance was lost.
The shot- stopper was back on his game 11 minutes later when he stopped a certain goal, getting down low to stop a Caolan McAleer cross that Oliver was poised to knock home.
The hosts took the lead 90 seconds from the break when Darren Miller curled over a free- kick from the right and Adam Cummins rose to head powerfully home from eight yards.
It was 2- 0 within a minute of the second half starting when Galt worked his way to the edge of the Morton box and unleashed a powerful drive high into Andy McNeil’s net.
A header from substitute Jai Quitongo with an hour gone flashed wide as Morton looked to get back into the game.
Fellow- replacement John Scullion also whipped a free-kick just wide.
There was, however, to be no route back into the game for Jim Duffy’s side as Queen’s held out without any more trouble.
QOS 7 STENHOUSEMUIR 1
QUEEN OF THE SOUTH set themselves on the way to the next round of the Irn Bru Cup as they cruised to an easy victory over a Stenhousemuir side that were never allowed to challenge.
The writing was on the wall for Stenny as early as six minutes when Dale Hilson turned two defenders to crack home a drive from 15 yards.
Four minutes later, the Dumfries men were two up when Grant Anderson picked up a ball just inside the box, trailed it along the line to give himself a clear line at goal and hit it into the corner of the net.
Following this, the Doonhamers were dictating play and giving the visiting defenders a hard time, and it was no surprise when Stephen Dobbie put his side further ahead in 33 minutes when he warded off a challenge from two defenders to beat the keeper from close range.
Derek Lyle made it four just before the break when he slotted the ball home from the penalty spot after a defender had handled the ball in trying to clear a corner.
There was no stopping Queens and Dobbie was on the mark again just a minute after the break when he trailed the ball through the defence to give advancing goalkeeper Colin McCabe no chance from close range.
With Queens seemingly running through the Stenny defence at will, manager Gavin Skelton took the opportunity to put on three of the younger players to give them experience – and it was substitute Steven Rigg who fired home No 6 in 66 minutes when he was put through on goal by Dobbie to beat the advancing keeper.
Rigg then made it seven in 79 minutes when he took advantage of a slip by a defender to lob the ball over the keeper’s head.
Stenhousemuir managed a consolation counter two minutes later when Alan Cook hit home a 25- yard free-kick.