LATEST MATCH REPORT
Reports from matches this season go to the fixtures section and click on the report linked to the match you want to read about. Alternatively for earlier seasons go to the fixtures section of the archive for the relevant year.
STIRLING ALBION 0 : 0 QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 5th April 2008
MacDonald
Rating: 6.92
McCann
Rating: 6.60
Thomson
Rating: 6.76
Aitken
Rating: 6.92
S1
Harris
Rating: 5.84
Gilmour
Rating: 5.48
S3
Macfarlane
Rating: 7.00
S2
Tosh
Rating: 6.72
McQuilken
Rating: 6.24
Stewart
Rating: 5.38
Dobbie
Rating: 6.84
SUBSTITUTES
S1 - 46
O'Neill
Rating: 5.56
S2 - 59
Paton
Rating: 5.38
S3 - 69
Robertson
Rating: 4.91
Lauchlan
Grindlay
SUBMIT YOUR mom RATINGS
Members of the Internet Fan Club can award players marks out of ten for their performance today. The player with the most points awarded in the two days following a match will be the IFC Man of the Match. All of the points will then be added to a running total for each player and the results published in the mom League Table.

Name or IFC No.
MATCH SUMMARY
Gordon Chisholm made three changes to the side that lost at Livingston in midweek. Back from suspension came Stevie Tosh, Jamie McQuilken came back from his midweek rest and Brian Gilmour started on the right in place of the suspended Paul Burns. Craig Reid and Robert Campbell were the other players to drop out with neither even making the bench. Jim Lauchlan also made a return to the squad, taking a seat on the bench. Allan Moore's doomed Stirling side included former Queens player Steven Bell.

Queens made a bright start and carved the defence open a couple of times before, six minutes in, Stevie Tosh should have opened the scoring when Dobbie played him in behind the back four. His flicked finish though ran along the face of goal and wide at the far post. At the other end Jamie MacDonald had his first serious involvement in ten minutes when he clutched a Chris Aitken shot above his head on the goal-line.

Queens fans had their hearts in mouths on the quarter hour when Robert Harris dived into a foul on Steven Bell and the referee immediately reached for his back pocket. Fortunately that was where he kept his yellow card! Ten minutes later Bell complained bitterly that Harris had caught him with an elbow but referee Mr Nicholls was having none of it. When play restarted Jay Rodriguez took immediate retribution by going in high on Harris and was perhaps fortunate only to see yellow for what was clearly a revenge attack. The vendetta continued a few minutes later as Bell also saw yellow for a foul on Harris. The first half had sadly petered out into a succession of fouls after a bright start and ended on a failed penalty appeal for Queens as the ball ran down a defenders arm in the box after he miscontrolled it. However there was no intent and lay on was probably the right call.

Gilmour down the right today - from David Gow on the terracing
Rather than take any risks Robert Harris was withdrawn at half time and replaced by John O'Neill which meant McQuilken reverting to full back, Gilmour switching from the right to the left and Stewart dropping to wide right as O'Neill slotted in alongside Dobbie. Stirling were the first to show in the second period though as Aitken lashed a shot wildly over the bar. Seconds later MacDonald made a good stop to deny Taggart. In the 55th minute JT tried to repeat his overhead kick effort of last year at Livingston when he attempted to convert Dobbie header back at a corner kick but the ball landed on the roof of the net.

Tosh breaks out of defence - from David Gow on the terracing
Making his return from illness it was clear there was no real intention for Stevie Tosh to play the full game and he was replaced after an hour by Eric Paton. In the 66th minute out of nothing Rodriguez unleashed a brilliant drive for the top corner that MacDonald must have put a fingertip save on since the referee awarded a corner but seconds later at the other end Christie fumbled Dobbie shot round the post. There was controversy in 68 minutes as Gilmour escaped behind the back line and went down under a challenge inside the box as he waited for the ball to drop. The referee looked to his assistant for help and got none so play continued and the ball was cleared. Chisholm immediately replaced MacFarlane with Scott Robertson as Allan Moore sent Colin Cramb on for McKenna.

Dobbs controls - from David Gow on the terracing
With quarter of an hour to go Scott Christie made a flying save from Ryan McCann's 20 yard free kick and, from the resulting corner, another block to deny Robertson. Gary Muir replaced Taggart for the home side before Stewart almost beat Christie to a ball over the top and then O'Neill capitalised on the loose ball to float in a cross for Dobbie but he couldn't get enough pace on the header to beat the keeper. Stirling had by no means given up though and Steven Bell fired an effort into the side-netting with six minutes to go. With two minutes to go Stephen Dobbie lit up the game with a wonderful run through the home defence but his shot was lashed over the bar unfortunately. Seconds later another Dobbie shot was much closer, shaving the post on its way past. Queens had their tails up now at the end of the game and Gilmour was next to test Christie from 15 yards but he was equal to the task.

That's now three games without a goal in a week as the season draws to a close but the important thing at this point was we got the game out of the way with no fresh concerns about injuries or suspensions. Now it's all about Hampden!

Match highlights - from David Gow on the teracing
Ewan Lithgow


[Back to Queens front page]