Official Queen of the South Site

Queens turned in a creditable performance against their English League One neighbours Carlisle United this afternoon and could have come away with a deserved victory that their play deserved but for a rare penalty miss y John O'Neill and a last minute open goal miss from youngster Mark Whorlow.

Queens were missing at least six players who could be termed first team starters through injury, some marginal and some longer term but with the first league game looming next Saturday it was wise to rest the marginally fit players today. Carlisle for their part named twenty one players in their squad and effectively changed the whole side at half time. The first half saw seven first team players take the field for the Cumbrians the second half only three. The travelling support was very impressive and it must be many a long day since Queens fans were outnumbered by visiting fans at a home fixture, maybe down to the local holidays starting today but nonetheless a disappointing fact.

To the game itself and Queens started brightly pinning back the visitors and finding a lot of room to play good passing football. On the quarter hour Sean O'Connor pulled a ball down for Paul Burns who could only blast over the bar from the edge of the box. Four minutes later and Brian Gilmour tormented the Cumbrians defence as he pulled a deep ball across the face of the goal that both O'Connor and Burns just couldn't connect with.

Bingham works through the Carlisle defence

Carlisle were making fewer chances but a ball through the heart of the defence bounced kindly for Grindlay to collect on twenty five minutes.

There were shouts for a penalty for Queens as Sean O'Connor was felled in the box after breaking through the Cumbrian rearguard, however the referee pulled play back for a free kick outside the box that came to nothing.

A golden opportunity fell to the visitors just after the half hour mark as Stephen Grindley made his only mistake of the day as he fumbled a cross that fell to the feet of Neal McDermott but the United player shot well over the bar to relief of the Queens keeper. Grindlay made up for his error a mere four minutes later as Andy Aitken stuck his shoulder into the ball and conceded a penalty that Grindlay did well to get down low to his left to push away and gather at the second attempt.

Grindlay thwarts the effort

Just before half time Brian Gilmour beat the Carlisle 'keeper and a defender to break though free on goal, however in the time it took to compose himself Bradley was back on his line and Gilmours effort was over the top. The half time whistle blew with Queens the more impressive of the two sides.

The second half saw just one Queens substitution with John O'Neill on for Sean O'Connor whilst Carlisle replaced ten players!

Just five minutes into the half and David Bingham was brought down in the box, as usual everyone was confident that John O'Neill would stroke home his penalty, however the spot king has to miss sometime and fortunately it was today in a friendly that the cars on Terregles Street had to dodge a wayward football!

O'Neill blasts over from the spot