Match Report

Stenhousemuir v Queen of the South at Ochilview Park, Stenhousemuir on 16.4.13

Irn Bru Scottish Second Division                 Att 504

Stenhousemuir 2 [Smith 29, Dickson 72] Queen of the South 1 [Mitchell 42]

The Warriors came into this game on the back of a victory at Methil on the Saturday but they knew that this was going to be a tough assignment. The game had originally been scheduled for the sixth of April but had been switched as Queens were in the Ramsden Cup final that weekend. They subsequently won that as well as the Second Division championship. Any chance of them resting on their laurels though were small though as they had the top points total ever in the division in their sights and were obviously looking for that incentive to carry them through the rest of the season.

The game had been in doubt earlier in the day due to excessive wind conditions but they had calmed down enough by kick off. It was still not ideal with the blustery winds causing problems but no longer was the game going to be a farce.

The Warriors were forced into a defensive change due to Scot Buist’s injury at Methil and Iain Thomson looked to by the likely candidate to take that role. He however was a late call off through illness and Kevin McKinlay stepped in despite not being 100% himself.

The home side kicked off with the wind at their backs and their first attempt at goal came in the 6^th minute when John Gemmell won an aerial duel to head the ball onto Darren Smith and his shot from 30 yards whistled just over the bar. The league champions thought they had taken the lead in the 12^th minute when Chris Higgins headed home a Chris Mitchell free kick. Celebrations were cut short though as the Queens captain was deemed to be offside. Derek Lyle failed to test the keeper with an effort that lacked power in the 21^st minute and it was a similar story at the other end three minutes later when Lee Robinson saved a Gemmell header from a Nicky Devlin cross.

The Warriors took the lead in the 29^th minute. A kick up field by Chris Smith was won by Gemmell who headed onto Sean Dickson and he showed vision to pick out Darren Smith and who dispatched the ball into the net from the edge of the box. There was then a scare at the other end when Ross McMillan lost possession to Nicky Clark but the defender recovered sufficiently to deflect the subsequent shot for a corner.

A piece of Jamie Reid magic lit up the proceedings in the 39^th minute when he shimmied past three defenders before pinging a long range effort just over the bar with the keeper scrambling to get back to stop it.  Queens then came close with a Slattery strike that Chris Smith saved. They were not to be denied for long though as they equalised in the 42^nd minute with Chris Mitchell, repeating his feats in the game at Palmerston, by firing an unstoppable free kick into the net from 25 yards.

The second period started with Gemmell being denied by a Robinson save. That could have been crucial if Lyle had not squandered a chance immediately afterwards when Kevin McKinlay lost the ball. David Rowson then cut the Doonhamers defence wide open but Darren Smith fired just over. 

As the game progressed Queens looked the more likely to score but found Stenhousemuir resolute in defence and at times were doing just enough to clear the danger. 

Stenhousemuir took the lead once again in the 72^nd minute. Nicky Devlin fired a high ball from the halfway line that was then headed on by Gemmell to Reid who then picked out Darren Smith and his cross was powered home by a diving Sean Dickson header. Two minutes later the visitors were almost gifted an equaliser when McKinlay turned the ball into the path of Nicky Clark who burst into the danger area, his shot from close range was saved by Chris Smith just as McKinlay tried to tackle and the Warrior just got to the rebound first to clear the danger. Both McKinlay and Clark needed treatment after the scramble to get there first.

There was another scare in the 82^nd minute when Queens were awarded another freekick in a good position. Once again Chris Mitchell struck it but this time it took a slight deflection off the wall and Chris Smith did well to tip it round the post.

The game ended though with the Warriors victorious and Queens lost for only the second time in their league campaign.  The win kept Stenhousemuir on the fringes of the play-offs and meant that they could continue to something to play for rather than the season meandering to a close. 

Stenhousemuir – C.Smith, Devlin, Ross, McKinlay, McMíllan, Hodge [b27], Reid [Corcoran 90], Rowson, Gemmell, Dickson [Kouider-Aissa 81] and D.Smith. Subs not used – Brash, Summers and Shaw

Queen of the South –Robinson, Mitchell [b34], Holt, Black, Higgins, Slattery, Carmichael [Smith 86], McKenna, Lyle, Clark and Paton. Subs not used – McGuffie, Fitzpatrick, Orsi and Atkinson.

Referee – Craig Charleston          Assistants – Brian McGarry and David Dunne.