Queens stretch unbeaten run

Mar 4 2009 by Susan Bryden, Dumfries Standard Wednesday

QUEEN of the South made it five games unbeaten as midfielder Stevie Tosh made a decisive impact on his return from suspension.

The point at Broadwood didn’t come without cost though as Queens lost Sean O’Connor after just 32 minutes.

The striker slid in recklessly on Clyde midfielder Mark Brown and won a foul, but failed to get back up and was stretchered off with his right knee heavily braced.

The away side had started the stronger with only a combination of Bully Wee keeper David Hutton and the bar keeping out a Craig Barr header, however after eight minutes they were behind, somewhat against the run of play.

The mercurial Willie McLaren showed some of his true ability as he effortlessly dribbled into the Queens’ box, however after leaving defender’s trailing in his wake goalkeeper Lee Robinson decided he was going no further and sent the former St Johnstone winger crashing to the turf.

Alan Trouten stepped up to take the penalty and just squeezed it into the corner of the net beyond the reach of Robinson.

Up against his old team, Bob Harris had a poor free kick attempt from the edge of the box saved by Hutton, and Neil MacFarlane and Barry Wilson also came close, but Queens went in at half-time behind.

Tosh replaced Neil Scally at the break, but while he took his time to play his way into the game, the Doonhamers thought they had been awarded a penalty.

Chris Higgins fouled Ryan McCann towards the left edge of the Clyde box and referee Calum Murray appeared to pointed to the spot, before changing his mind and awarding a free kick just outside the area.

However, on 79 minutes, the equaliser did come as Stephen Dobbie found Tosh unmarked at the edge of the box and he sent a fizzing drive beyond Hutton.

Fellow substitute Jamie McQuilken could have then won it late on as he found himself unmarked eight yards out. However, Stewart Kean managed to do a far more effective job than the Clyde defence by getting in the road of the goalbound shot and honours remained even.

Queens’ manager Gordon Chisholm was disappointed with his team’s performance but praised Tosh for his point-saving contribution.

He said: “Stevie wasn’t happy to be on the bench but he’d been suspended and I didn’t want to change a team that was playing well.

“Then we produced a terrible first half performance and I had to put him on for the second half.”

“He made a difference and ended up being our best player. He has a good shout for starting the next match.”

Teams

Clyde: Hutton, Brown, Ruari MacLennan, Higgins, Gibson, Lithgow, Trouten (McKay 84), Tade, Gemmill, Stevenson, McLaren. Subs not used: McSwegan, O’Reilly, Roddy MacLennan, Cherrie.

QoS: Robinson, McCann, Harris, Scally (Tosh 46), Barr, Lancaster, Wilson (McQuilken 78), MacFarlane, O’Connor (Kean 32), Dobbie, Burns. Subs not used: Thomson, Halliwell.

Referee: C. Murray.

Attendance: 1,142.