Match Report

 Four goals, a red card and Sol Brynn doing some Sol Brynn things. 

 

Saturday brought some typical Scottish Cup drama as Queens were held to a draw by Cove Rangers at a blustery Balmoral Stadium.

 

With Cove top of League 1 and Queens at the foot of the Championship, there was never going to be much to separate the two sides in the north-east.

 

Click here for the match photo gallery.

 

Queens travelled up on Friday evening, weathering Storm Arwen. Allan Johnston made  four changes to his side that lost last week to Inverness Caledonian Thistle. In came Alex Cooper, Harry Cochrane, Ally Roy and Ruben Soares Junior. Josh Debayo, Ben Liddle (both injured), Ruari Paton and Innes Cameron dropped out.

 

Queens did set up in the same shape despite the changes though. Junior played on the right with Roy leading the line, whilst Cochrane came into midfield next to Max Johnston in a 4-1-4-1 formation. Calvin McGrory was manned with protecting the back four with Roberto Nditi slotting in at centre-back.

 

Plenty of eyes were on Saturday?s cup tie with each side playing at a similar level. However, the opening half hour failed to provide much goalmouth action whatsoever.

 

It took 29 minutes for either side to have any sort of opening such was the wind.

 

Fraser Fyvie struck a venomous free-kick towards Brynn?s goal, although it didn?t trouble the English ?keeper.

 

On 32 minutes though the deadlock was broken on what was pretty much Queens? first real chance.

 

Wullie Gibson sold Harry Milne two or three times on the Queens right, before whipping in a sublime cross. On the dive, Ruben Junior met the ball. Mark McKenzie did his best to keep it out, however the referee adjudged it to have crossed the line and the South took the lead.

 

Junior dips down to head the opening goal

Junior celebrates his strike 

 

It proved to be a short lived lead though, lasting barely a minute, as the hosts equalised through a sensational free-kick.

 

From a similar position to Fyvie?s earlier effort (25 yards out, slightly to the right of the goal) Iain Vigurs curled in the equaliser after Lee Connelly brought his man down.

 

Brynn had no chance at the free kick

 

With a strong breeze behind them, Cove pushed for the lead before the break.

 

Mitch Megginson teed up Milne on the penalty spot, however Brynn was on hand to deny the wing-back with an acrobatic save.

 

On the verge of half-time the home side should have went ahead. A low cross found its way to Leighton McIntosh just six yards out, but the striker fired wide from what seemed like an unmissable position.

 

HT: Cove 1-1 Queens

 

The hosts had the better of the chances, although were also playing with a strong wind supporting them. A draw at the break was a fair result.

 

The second 45 starting much like the first with next to nothing happening.

 

Rory McAllister and Shay Logan came on for the home team after 68 minutes, whilst a certain King of Dublin replaced Roy for Queens.

 

And with his first touch of the game Ruari Paton rose well above Logan from a Cooper corner to head home and restore the South?s lead.

 

Paton gets his head to the ball fo his first touch of the game and a goal

 

Paton celebrates in front of the travelling fans

 

The game could?ve went either way at that point but it was Queens who made use of the half-chances that came their way.

 

However, on 81 minutes it arguably should have been game, set and match for the Doonhamers.

 

Connelly was playing in on goal but his powerful shot met the hands of McKenzie in the Cove goal to deny Queens.

 

It resulted in a South corner. However, from the corner the home team broke away at pace, forcing Nditi to down McAllister.

 

Despite being well inside the Cove half, Nditi was shown a straight red card, much to the annoyance of the travelling Doonhamers.

 

This seemed to be a turning point in the game with Cove beginning to dominate things. Gibson was forced to go into centre-back next to Paul McKay as Queens looked to protect the lead.

 

Jamie Masson, a second-half substitute for Cove, tested Brynn from range with just five minutes left in search for an equaliser.

 

On 89 minutes the same man curled a wicked effort towards goal that Sol Brynn parried away in what was genuinely one of the finest saves I?ve ever saw a Queens ?keeper make.

 

The Middlesborough loanee continues to make extraordinary saves on a weekly basis for the South and long may it continue.

 

At the point in perhaps felt like it was to be Queens? day, but Cove had different ideas.

 

Rory McAllister struck a low effort into the bottom corner from just inside the box in the 91st minute to deny Queens a long awaited victory.

 

FT: Cove 2-2 Queens

 

Twice Queens went ahead, twice Cove hit back.

 

It was a memorable cup tie for each side and one that isn?t over yet. The two teams will meet at Palmerston Park on the week beginning 6th December to decide who progresses into the fourth round.

 

A special thanks to the travelling Queens supporters on Saturday afternoon. Arwen tried to win, but it didn?t. We hope to see you at Palmerston on Wednesday for our SPFL Trust Trophy quarter-final meeting with Greenock Morton.

 

Finlay Jack


  • Brynn



  • Gibson



  • McKay



  • Nditi



  • Cooper



  • McGrory



  • Soares Junior
    1


  • Cochrane



  • Johnston



  • Connelly

    Sub2



  • Roy

    Sub1


    Subs


  • Rae



  • Paton
    1
    Sub1-71



  • Todd

    Sub2-81



  • Joseph



  • McKechnie


 
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First half begins
4%27 It’s really really cold.
10%27 Not much happening here other than this Twitter man getting severe frostbite. | 0-0
16%27 Nditi denies Megginson with a tremendous block. | 0-0
26%27 Cooper zings in a cross but no one meets it. It’s still cold. | 0-0
32%27 GOAL QUEENS! ITS NAE HALF TIME MIN ITS 1-0 QUEENS!!! RUUUUBENNN JUNIOR!
33%27 Goal Cove Rangers. 1-1.
38%27 Cove go close but Brynn tips over a venomous shot from the hosts. | 1-1
45%27 McIntosh misses a sitter for Cove. Lol. It’s half-time now, 1-1.
First half ends
Second half begins
68%27 Double change for Cove. Logan and McAllister on for Anderson and McIntosh.
71%27 Sub for Queens, Paton replaces Roy. | 1-1
72%27 GOAL QUEENS! RUARI PATON WITH HIS FIRST TOUCH!!!!!!!!!!! 2–1
74%27 Paton climbs above Shay Logan to restore our lead. Easy. 2-1
81%27 CHANCE! McKenzie makes a great save to deny Connelly. | 1-2
81%27 Todd on for Connelly with 9 to go. | 1-2
82%27 Nditi is sent off for a challenge on the *checks notes* halfway line. | 1-2
86%27 Vigurs goes close but not close enough. | 1-2
89%27 SAVE! Brynn denies Masson magnificently. | 1-2
90%27 HOLY F***. Sol Brynn pulls off a stupidly good save. Wow. | 1-2
91%27 Goal Cove Rangers. McAllister equalises. | 2-2
The game ends
Full Time A tough one to take. Replay in a week and a half. FT: 2-2