Queens squeezed through to the second round of the Scottish League Cup but neighbours Annan must still be wondering today how they are not part of Monday`s draw instead. Although over the pice Queens probably just about deserved to win, at least in terms of good goalcoring chances, it was the home side who were moments from clinching victory and will take home most of the plaudits.
With Brownlie, Tapping and Steven Higgins still out injured, and no trialists allowed in the League Cup, James Fowler named the same starting eleven that beat Stranraer last weekend but had to make a couple of changes on the substitutes bench where Kyle Hutton and Paul Heffernan were replaced by assistant manager Gavin Skelton and young Owen Moxon from the u20 side. It was a first taste of official involvement with the first team for the Carlisle youngster who has been allocated squad number 19 now, though he has been part of the travelling squad for games before.
Hosts, Annan, had their own problems with Josh Todd, scorer of a hat trick to knock Airdrie out of the Petrofac Training Cup last week, out due to an injury picked up midweek against Rangers in Steven Sloan`s testimonial. That meant a starting role for Smart Osadolor who would go on to have a tremendous game and gave Chris Higgins all sorts of problems. Both sides though named a very young bench, Skelton aside.
Queens started brightly and dominated most of the play in the opening 20 minutes without really looking much like scoring, the closest being when Jordan Hart saved a Jacobs shot low down at his post. Midway through the half though the talents of Osadolor showed for the first time as he jinked past at least three defenders before beating Robbie Thomson with a rising drive from a wide angle. Fortunately his effort crashed off the crossbar and not into the net.
Just after the half hour mark there was some controversy as Dale Hilson`s pace got him clear and bursting towards the Annan penalty area. As he approached goal he rode an attempted challenge but was knocked a little off balance in the process, allowing Jordan Hart time to get out to the ball. Hilson fell over the keeper and was then booked by referee Kevin Graham for a perceived dive. There`s no way it was a foul but the booking seemed very harsh from where I was. Hilson had been fighting to keep his balance for two or three steps beforehand.
Hilson is forced wide by Hart
With the game looking like it would reach half time goal-less, Queens broke the deadlock with a strike of stunning quality. Those old enough may recall Paul Scholes winning goal of the season in 2000 with a volley at Bradford City from David Beckham`s corner. This was like that only better as it was hit harder and higher! Playing the Beckham part was Mark Millar who struck the corner in from the right perfectly. The other Queens players in the area all made runs to take defenders away and leave the stage clear for Ryan Conroy, playing the Scholes role, to simply hammer the ball into the top right corner. Hart may have just about managed to get a touch to the ball on its way back out! If we`ll see a better goal all season it`s going to be well worth seeing.
Conroy fires home the opener
Goal celebrations for Conroy
If the Queens players thought the goal would be enough to win the game they were in for a rude awakening in the second half. Just before the hour mark Annan drew level. Rabin Omar made ground down the right and had too much time to swing in a perfect cross to the edge of the six yard box where Smart Osadolor arrived to place a header behind Thomson. Before Queens had time to regroup, a few minutes later Annan had the lead. It came from a left sided corner struck low into the penalty box. It wasn`t at all clear from my angle exactly how it happened someone missed the ball and the stadium announcer credited the old warhorse Peter Weatherson with turning the ball home at the near post.
Osadolor rises high and powers his header into the top corner
Queens bounced back almost immediately though and were level within two minutes. A ball forward on the right side was headed on by Hilson into the path of Derek Lyle and, bursting clean through on goal, the veteran striker who is in such a rich vein of form was never going to miss. The home side were left complaining bitterly that both Hilson and Lyle were offside for their parts in the action but Mr Graham was unmoved.
Derek Lyle finishes in fine style
It was anybody`s game now and Annan moved ahead again with 20 minutes remaining and it was another disastrous goal for Queens defensively. A ball forward up the right side should have been cleared out by Higgins but he let it bounce and Rabin Omar was on to it and bearing down on goal. Kyle jacobs did very well to get back and get himself between Omar and the ball but then rather than clearing it he seemed to kick it against his own keeper`s chest. The loose ball bounced clear to the edge of the penalty area where Peter Weatherson had arrived and did the only thing he could to get it to the goal, he produced a delicate chip over everyone else which nestled nicely into the back of the net.
Queens had to role their sleeves up and drag themselves back into the game and, to be fair, that`s what they did. Smart Osadolor was booked for persistent fouling in giving away a free kick 25 yards from goal and Mark Millar caught out Jordan Hart with a near post strike. Unfortunately his free kick missed the target by about a foot with the goalkeeper completely stranded at the wrong post. Aidan Smith came on to replace Iain Russell who had a quiet game. On 81 minutes it looked like Dale Hilson was destined to equalise as he arrived with a diving header at the back post from Milar`s cross but Hart this time produced a fine diving save to deny him. James Fowler then resorted to a tactical change, withdrawing both his full backs and sending on Scott Hooper to make up a back three with Dowie and Higgins, and Jake Pickard to provide an extra attacking body.
With three minutes remaining Steven Black gave away a silly foul on Aidan Smith 25 yards out and got himself booked for it. It was an unnecessary challenge as Smith appeared to have knocked the ball too far ahead of himself to catch it. Queens fans held their collective breath as Ryan Conroy, for whom a free kick in such a range is almost as good as a penalty, lined it up. The moment he struck it everyone was up in the air. It seemed clear it was destined for the top corner but at the last minute it somehow caught the inside of the post and spun out across the face of goal and round the opposite post for a goal kick! It seemed physically impossible that the ball could stay out but somehow it did and it seemed the chance had gone. However, greater drama was yet to come. With the clock just ticking onto 92 minutes (regardless of what the stadium announcer said) Dale Hilson gained possession at the right side of the penalty area, cut inside a defender and curled an absolute beauty into the top left corner of the net to send the Queens bench and support wild. There was still time for a further two and half minutes of injury time during which time Matty Flynn became the third Annan player booked and Queens almost pinched a winner.
Hilson celebrates his late, late equaliser to send the game into extra time
The disappointment of the home side was clear and they lost a bit of discipline early in extra time as first Martin McNiff became their fourth booking less than a minute after the restart and then Steven Black picked up a second yellow card for himself a minute after that. Aidan Smith had already run away from two opponents when Black decided he wouldn`t be a third one and barged him over once the ball had been knocked past him. The outcome was inevitable despite the protestations.
The goal that eventually won it was a scrappy one and arrived in the 100th minute. Kyle Jacobs ran onto a loose ball at the edge of the box and fired it past Hart and against the underside of the bar, from where it bounced down and apparently onto the goal-line. As some claimed the ball was over Derek Lyle didn`t hang about to see and set about heading the rebound towards goal. Hart made half a block but appeared to pull the ball just over the line with him as he saved it. The standside assistant immediately signalled the ball had crossed the line and awarded the goal. Lyle, who had picked up a bang on the head in the process, was unable to celebrate as he received treatment behind the goal-line before returning to the play. Hart saved well from Aidan Smith`s shot before we reached half time in extra time also.
Lyle heads the winning goal
Over the line, but just
The second period was inevitably dominated by Queens who now had a man advantage. Aidan Smith`s powerful header almost doubled the lead too but Hart pulled off a good save low to his right and another soon after low to his left to keep out Millar`s long range drive. The home side sent on three young subs but the match was completely ended as a contest when a rush of blook from Rabin Omar saw them reduced to nine men for the last three minutes. Play appeared to have already been stopped for a foul on Kyle Jacobs when Omar launched himself two footed into the fray from a couple of yards away. Although he took the ball it was a ridiculous challenge never mind the fact play had already been stopped and the red card was the only possible result. There was little further excitement and it is Queens who will find themselves in Monday`s draw but good ness me they cut it fine.
Former Queens defender Steven Black receives his marching orders for a second bookable offence
Match Gallery
A booking for Hilson was the decision of the referee
Black Blocks Smith for his second booking
Smith heads goalward
Smith looks determined
Millar and Hilson charge forward
Annan defend in depth
Dowie wonders about an offside call
The Annan `Young Team` celebrate Nellie`s goal - spot the Queens fan!