Queens 100% winning start to the league campaign ended this afternoon as Rangers cruised an emphatic 5-1 victory in front of a near full house at Palmerston, and the watching BT Sport television audience. The rejuvenated Rangers side were simply far too good for Queens as they maintained their lead at the top of the Championship with a fourth successive league win. Trailing at the break, the task of finding a way back into the game got significantly harder for Queens when they were reduced to 10 men early in the second period when Derek Lyle was somewhat harshly red carded following an altercation with Rangers defender Kiernan on the nearside touchline, and from that moment on, the visitors took total control of the game and always looked likely to claim all three points.
There were two changes to the side that started against Morton in midweek with Kyle Jacobs and Alex Harris returning, and Lewis Kidd and Kyle Hutton dropping to the bench. In perfect conditions for football it was the visitors who began the game well and their controlled and patient build up play saw them dominate the early spell of possession although with Queens lining up in a 4-5-1 formation, it was always going to be the case that Rangers would see plenty of the ball. Rangers skipper Lee Wallace and former Rangers defender Andy Dowie had a coming together in the opening minutes of the game, a challenge that would eventually lead to the Rangers man having to be substituted later in the half.
Harris has a shot at goal early on
Apart from having the majority of the possession, it took Rangers the best part of 15 minutes before they broke through the Queens defence. McKay picked out the forward run of Wallace and although he was able to reach the bye-line unchallenged, his cross shot skipped wide of the far post. Queens captain Chris Higgins was very fortunate not to be booked when his late challenge on halfway prevented Tavernier from breaking clear, and as the free-kick was repelled by the home defence they launched a quick break away that saw them win a free-kick of their own in what looked to be a decent position. However with both Conroy and Lyle poised to shoot, Mark Millar stepped up and hit a tame effort straight into the wall.
When the play switched back to the other end,Tavernier went close with a decent effort from 25-yards as the away side roared on by a big support continued to apply the pressure. Queens were finding it difficult to get going but their best move of the opening phase at last saw them create something from open play. Alex Harris - making his home debut- linked up well with Conroy and his precise pass found Iain Russell, but his final shot could not match the approach play as it drifted wide of the target. The away team were certainly having the better of things and on 28 minutes they opened the scoring with a well worked and well taken goal. McKay and Waghorn exchanged passes before McKay`s perfectly weighted pass found Halliday and he finished comfortably sliding the ball past Robbie Thomson.The goal was the first that Queens had conceded in the opening 45 minutes of any game this season, and to be fair the goal had been coming.
Halliday scores despite Thomsons best attempts
The visitors were forced into making a change soon after as Wallace finally succumbed to the injury he sustained in the opening moments, and when play restarted after the goal, Harris showed some good skill before trying his luck from just outside the area although his shot was straight at `keeper Foderingham who held on easily.
The last action of the half really should have seen Queens draw level. Millar, Dowie and Jacobs combined well in midfield and when the ball was eventually worked on to Harris his accurate pass sent Conroy racing through on goal, but caught in two minds,instead of going for goal himself, he elected to square the ball in the hope of finding a team-mate and the chance had gone.
So the interval arrived with the half having been dominated by the visitors,but it could so easily have ended all square.
HALF-TIME QUEENS 0-1 RANGERS
If Queens were hoping to force the issue in the second half , there ambitions virtually ended just 2 minutes into it, when they were reduced to 10 men. A foul by Mark Millar in midfield seemed to go unpunished by referee, Madden, but when the ball went out of play the official returned to penalise the Queens midfielder. At the same time there was a coming together between Derek Lyle and Rangers defender, Tavernier, which Kiernan took exception to and although the clash between Lyle and Kiernan seemed to be six of one and half a dozen of the other,somewhat harshly, Lyle was shown a straight red card, whilst Kiernan went unpunished.
Worse was to follow for Queens after 52 minutes when Rangers doubled their advantage from the penalty spot. Tavernier - not for the first time - got in behind the Queens defence and his ball across the six-yard box fell kindly for substitute Ball who, before he could make contact with the ball was bundled to the ground by Dowie. A clear penalty, and certainly a card, which thankfully for the home fans in the crowd of 5858, was just a yellow. Waghorn made no mistake from the spot.
The referee had a clear view of the tangle that gave Rangers their fisrt penalty
Kyle Jacobs became the next Queens player to be booked following his late challenge on Holt as Queens frustration began to show. Aidan Smith replaced Ryan Conroy on 56 minutes, and the youngster was involved in the action instantly. On one of Queens rare forays into the Rangers half, Jordan Marshall escaped down the left and delivered a superb ball into the box, unfortunately Smith got just a bit ahead of the ball and could only head the ball behind him, and as the ball fell to Harris his hopes of a debut home goal were dashed when he blazed wildly over the bar.
Moments later, and it was game, set and match to Rangers as they added a third goal. Gedion Zelalem sent a delightful ball into the path of Holt and although his first shot was blocked by the advancing Thomson, the rebound fell kindly for him and he tucked the ball home neatly. Queens first effort on goal in the second period came from Aidan Smith as his drive from just inside the box forced Foderingham to make a diving save. On 65 minutes the visitors added a fourth goal as Waghorn and Miller linked well to set up a chance for McKay who finished in style as the home defence were were completely opened up.
Smith caused The Rangers defence plenty of concern when he took to the field
Queens made their final changes when Jake Pickard and Kyle Hutton replaced Millar and Jacobs, and Pickard`s first contribution to the game saw him become the latest player to find his way into the referee`s notebook for pulling back substitute Oduwa. The visitors then inflicted more misery on the home side when following a free-kick, Iain Russell standing inside the penalty area in the defensive wall, raised his hand to concede a second penalty, with the outcome being the same as Waghorn dispatched the kick with power and accuracy beyond the dive of Thomson.
The hosts, despite being totally outplayed for large parts of the game, finally managed to breach the Rangers rearguard 9 minutes from the end. A long clearance from Dowie picked out the run of Aidan Smith and the youngster did well to hold off the challenge of Kiernan before sliding the ball past Foderingham,
Smith slams the ball home to give Queens a consolation goal
Quite simply, Rangers were different class today, and although they had the extra man advantage, and scored twice from the penalty spot, Queens unfortunately were not able to compete with the title favourites, and were well beaten on the day.