LATEST MATCH REPORT
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ST JOHNSTONE 0 : 0 QUEEN OF THE SOUTH 12th February 2005
Barnard
Rating: 7.66
Paton
Rating: 6.31
Thomson
Rating: 6.03
Reid
Rating: 6.20
Craig
Rating: 4.97
Bowey
Rating: 6.23
McColligan
Rating: 6.13
Lovell
Rating: 6.27
McLaughlin
Rating: 6.00
Lyle
Rating: 6.17
Wood
Rating: 6.69
SUBSTITUTES
Williams
Jaconelli
Burns
English
Wright
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Name or IFC No.
MATCH SUMMARY
Twenty three league games without a scoreless draw this season, and now two in a row! This one at least though was far more entertaining than the St Mirren one at least. Iain Scott made four changes to the side that lost in the cup last week, one enforced and three by choice. Colin Scott had suffered an injury so in came Richard Barnard for his second game and Graeme Wright onto the bench. Stuart Lovell made his debut in the middle of midfield, effectively in place of Paul Burns but it was Bowey who surprisingly played on the right side. To no great surprise Brian McLaughlin replaced Willie Gibson on the left whilst Gary Wood was the surprise choice to partner Lyle up front in place of McNiven. John Connolly resisted temptation to start David Bagan after his controversial departure from Palmerston a fortnight ago. He took his place on the bench but Craig Samson, who's one game for Queens this season was actually at McDiarmid, was in goal for the home side.

On ten minutes Forsyth received a booking for a bad challenge from behind on Bowey and, from the resulting free kick, McColligan lifted the ball into the penalty area. Gary Wood flicked the ball goalward and only a late dive backwards from Samson kept it out at the expense of a corner. Two minutes later McColligan joined Forsyth in Mr McCurry's notebook for a challenge on Hannah. On 20 minutes Barnard was called into serious action for the first time. Stuart Lovell lost possession on the edge of his own box and McDonald had a clear opportunity from 10 yards. The big Englishman though made the save diving down to his right. Three minutes later Bowey collected a David Craig clearance in midfield and strode forward unchallenged before shooting from 25 yards out and forcing another tip over from Samson. The resulting corner was cleared but Paton's drive at goal was deflected past for another corner. This time Reid's header from beyond the back post was volleyed over the bar on the turn by Wood. This was the most action packed spell of the game and the home side hit back again within a couple of minutes. This time Ryan McCann found himself in space on the right side and made it to the edge of the penalty area before cutting his shot across goal and wide of the bottom left corner.
The closest effort of the match was in 32 minutes. Keiran McAnespie hit a looping shot from well outside the box that looked to be heading over the top but dipped late and struck the underside of the bar with Barnard stranded. The ball bounced down onto the goal-line and was headed clear by Brian Reid before any of the in-rushing forwards could get there. Five minutes before the interval Eric Paton's shot from distance was only a foot over the bar.

The best chance of the second period was the first one in 49 minutes and came from a quickly taken right sided St Johnstone corner. Ian Maxwell got a header in at goal and Barnard showed a strong wrist to palm the ball away initially before a combination of him and McLaughlin scrambled a follow up effort away again. Ten minutes later and Ryan McCann had even more freedom down the right than he did in the first half on a break after Queens over-committed forward. This time, fully ten yards clear of Craig, he again opted to shoot from the edge of the box and again missed the target low to the left side. Two minutes later though Gary Wood lifted a ball forward from halfway and presented Derek Lyle with a very similar opportunity. He too shot from about 18 yards and straight at Craig Samson who made a comfortable save. On 65 minutes Eric Paton was high with a direct free kick from 25 yards out.
The game was dying out as a spectacle but was given a boost on 78 minutes when David Bagan was introduced for Sheerin. That certainly animated the visiting support! A minute later, from what looked a certain foul by Thomson on McDonald, Queens broke forward with passing between Bowey and Wood before Wood stepped inside a late challenge and flashed a shot across the face of goal from a tight angle. On 81 minutes Bagan escaped McLaughlin's challenge and shot from 20 yards but Barnard made an easy save. That was the last chance of the game though with only the replacing of Michael Moore with Andy Jackson interrupting the ticking of the clock towards full-time.

A respectable result then on a day when every game played in the division was drawn. I'm sure if you offered Iain Scott a point this morning he'd have taken it and probably the same again at home to Falkirk next week would do fine too.

Ewan Lithgow


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