LATEST MATCH SUMMARY

Mathieson
Lilley	Rowe	Aitken	McAllister
Townsley	Cleeland	Leslie	Weir
Mallan		Adams

SUBSTITUTES
Bailey 50 mins	Bryce 70 mins	Russell 75 mins

Six games in a row with Queen's running out victorious, not since season 1974-75 has a Queen's team produced form of this standard. Our form over the last two and a half months under the guidance of Geordie Rowe and Ken Eadie has propelled what is essentially the same bunch of players from strong relegation candidates to a healthy fourth place in the league. Basically the team are now playing with confidence and exhibiting the level of skill that all the fans knew was there from the beginning of the season when hopes were so high.

Today's performance, it has to be said was not vintage stuff, the game started brightly enough and to their credit East Fife did not sit back and chose to pressure Queens. For the first ten minutes or so the match was quiet but the balance of play was with the Fifers. That all changed on twelve minutes when red hot Charlie "Chucky" Adams found himself with a simple chance to tuck away his fourth goal in four games. David Mathieson's goal clearance found Stevie Mallan in space, Stevie fed Deggsie on the right and as we now expect from Deggsie he sent across an inch perfect cross which Charlie tapped into the net for a simple opener.

Queen's largely controlled the play after this but the Fifers did have their moments and were looking dangerous when for some strange reason their Tommy Harrison, ex Carlisle, decided to blatantly elbow Marc Cleeland, ex-Carlisle, in the face as they both ran onto what appeared a harmless midfield tussle. Fortunately referee Mr Kaney was immediately behind play and had no hesitation in red carding the errant Mr Harrison.

This immediately signalled Queen's to step up the pace, which they capitalised on almost immediately when both Charlie Adams and George Rowe rose near post for a Jamie McAllister corner with Geordie coming out on top and getting the winning header in to make it two nil. Queens then came close a couple more times before half time but then slowed it down until the break.

Shortly into the second half disaster stuck when co-player manager Rowe had to leave the field injured. The re-organisation meant that midfield playmaker Deggsie had to drop back to emergency centre back and Lee Bailey was put on to fill the wide right role of Deggsie. The result was that chances were fewer as the momentum and understanding of the attack was disrupted.

Tommy Bryce made a well received return to Palmerston when he came on as a substitute in the 70th minute to give Charlie Adams a well earned rest after another excellent display from the striker who seems now to have found his most effective position after a rough start to his Queen's career. The game was played out with Queen's doing what they had to to keep their goal intact but not having to work too hard at the end.