2Match Report
Irn Bru Second Division Play Off Semi-Final
Stenhousemuir 2 [Dalziel 6 pen, Love 32]
Queens Park 1 [Harkins 33]
Both sides made wholesale changes from their final regular league games for this play off encounter with Stenhousemuir making 8 changes to the starting eleven that drew with Forfar on the Saturday and Queens Park six changes from the team that lost at Stirling on Monday night.
Stenhousemuir went into this game with a four game unbeaten run and were starting to play with a bit more confidence. Queens on the other hand have had a hard time recently but as the higher league representatives were always to be respected especially as they had most to lose in this semi-final.
The Warriors started the game by pressurising the opposition defence and Scott Dalziel tested Zander Cowie with a header in the 4th minute. A minute later the Warriors came close again but they were to make the breakthrough in the 6th minute. Craig Molloy was adjudged to have been tripped by Steven Reilly as he burst into the box and the resultant penalty was dispatched by Dalziel who sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot. The amateurs responded with a Barry Douglas free kick being punched clear by Scott Bennett. There was little potency in the Spiders attacks though and they struggled to trouble the home defence at this stage. In fact the Warriors looked the more threatening and Jordan Smith came close with a header just over from a Kevin Motion corner. In the 32nd minute Stenhousemuir scored their second goal with an exquisite finish by Robert Love after the ball fell to him in the box. The home side were not able to celebrate the two goal cushion for long though as within seconds of the resumption Queens Park scored when a Ryan Holms cross was met by Paul Harkins who headed past Bennett and into the net.
Not surprisingly this set up the best spell of the game for the visitors and Holms had a lob tipped over and thereafter followed a scramble at the corner kick that was eventually scrambled clear by Willie Lyle.
The second half started in similar fashion to the first with Stenhousemuir on top and they should have increased their lead in the 48th minute but Kevin Motion missed the target from inside the six yard box. The Warriors despite not having as much possession in the second period continued to carve out the better chances and in the 57th minute Iain Diack had a header cleared off the line. Three minutes later Stenhousemuir could have had another penalty when Love was bundled to the ground by Martin Ure but no award was forthcoming. The home side continued to press and shortly after that Jordan Smith had a header cleared off the line.
Although no more goals were scored the main thing was that Stenhousemuir were able to take a goal advantage to the national stadium for the second leg though in truth they will be disappointed that the margin was not greater. Still it sets up the second leg nicely for what could be an intriguing encounter
Stenhousemuir – Bennett, Lyle [b52], Reid, Thom, Smith, McLeod, Love [Brand 90], Molloy [b80], Dalziel, Diack [b41][Brazil 75] and Motion. Subs not used – Tyrrell, Thomson and Renton
Queens Park – Cowie [b6], Ure , Douglas, Reilly, Brough, Ronald [McGrady 75] , Holms, Cairney, Nicholas, Harkins and Watt [Murray 83]. Subs not used – McGinn, Boslem and Crawford
Referee – Steven Nicolls Assistants – Chris Young and Kevin J.Graham
