Holmes heads the way

Nov 11 2009 by Our Correspondent, Dumfries Standard Wednesday

A FIRST half header from Derek Holmes was enough to keep Queens at the top of the table as they saw off a dogged Ayr United side at Somerset Park.

The win keeps the Palmerston men ahead of Dundee on goal difference and sets up a cracker of a game at Dens on Saturday.

The goal came after 19 minutes, the first real chance of the match.

It all started from a Bob Harris free kick which was knocked clear but only as far as Stephen McKenna on the 18 yard line. He sent a cross into the box and Holmes rose above everybody else to bullet a header past former Queens’ keeper Craig Samson into the top corner for his eighth goal of the season.

It was a much better performance from Ayr than the one they’d shown at Palmerston earlier in the season and they almost hit back straight away.

They were awarded a free kick 25 yards out and Chris Aitken forced David Hutton to get down low to save and then Ryan Borris sent a glancing header wide.

At the other end Willie McLaren caused panic in the home defence. First Neil McGowan cleared his right foot cross and then the lively winger burst forward into the box beating a couple of defenders on the way before his left-foot effort was gathered by Samson.

Ten minutes before the break Queens looked like they had increased their goal tally. Another well-placed free kick by Harris was floated into the box and a powerful header by captain David Lilley flew just past the post.

Within minutes of the restart, Queens were on the attack again. A long clearance by Craig Reid was chased by Paul Burns. Neil McGowan got there first but his pass back was short and, as Rocco Quinn homed in, Samson raced out to clear.

Burns came close himself with a right-foot then left-foot volley but both cleared the bar. Holmes had another header but this time it was straight at Samson.

Queens weren’t having it all their own way and at the other end Mark Roberts turned in the box to fire a shot towards goal but Hutton saved. Kevin Cawley hit a left-foot shot off the base of the post but the flag was up anyway.

The match wasn’t the best spectacle and it deteriorated as the game went on.

David Gormley came off the bench and his first involvement was a yellow card for his challenge on Reid which resulted in the Queens defender having to leave the field a few minutes later.

The game threatened to boil over midway through the second half when the man with the light blue boots, Ryan Stevenson, wasn’t so light with his reckless tackle on Harris. As the defender lay in a heap on the turf, Stevenson was lucky to escape with only a yellow card.

Harris recovered enough to continue and just as well for the Doonhamers as they spent the last 10 minutes of the match under a fair bit of pressure from the home side.

Their best chance came from midfielder Stevenson when his left-foot low drive sailed just wide of Hutton’s goal.

Manager Gordon Chisholm was delighted with the travelling support but also pleased with the three points.

He said: “It was a typical derby with not a lot of football played but it was important to pick up the three points.

“Last week the boys played some of their best football. This was a different game where they had to roll their sleeves up and show character in a very physical game.

“This showed they can play football but also that they can mix it and put the boot in when they have to.

“Credit to Ayr, we had to defend and didn’t get an easy game.

“It was another clean sheet we defended as a team today, so I’m delighted. It’s good to score goals but also important to keep a clean sheet. In general. the spirit was fantastic.”

Teams

Ayr United: Samson, R McGowan, N McGowan, Gibson, Campbell (Connolly 10), Stevenson, Kennan, Aitken, Cawley (Gormley 61), Roberts (Prunty 78) & Borris. Subs not used: Grindley and Woodburn

Queen of the South: Hutton, Reid (McAusland 67), Harris, McKenna, Lilley, McLauchlan, Burns, Quinn, Kean (Wyness 75), Holmes & McLaren (McQuilken 81). Subs not used: Scally and Wilson

Referee: John McKendrick.

Attendance: 2453.