A young Queens side lost 2-1 to Stirling Albion today at Stirling University's sports complex. The game was moved at the last minute from the scheduled grass pitch due to the condition of it and instead played on an older 3G surface. With that in mind, and after a hard week's training in La Manga, with the players only returning to Scotland yesterday evening, it was decided to leave most of the senior players out ahead of Tuesday's friendly against Kilmarnock at Palmerston.
The starting eleven was Atkinson, Rutherford, Trialist, Dowie, Brownlie, Millar, Pickard, Burns, Kidd, Trialist and Hilson.
The "home" side took the lead after about quarter of an hour when a free kick from the left was flighted into the box and flicked beyond Jim Atkinson into the corner of the net off Darren Brownlie's head. Dale Hilson forced a fine save from Chris Smith in the Stirling goal before another Hilson break saw him pull the ball back to one of the Trialists only for him to place the ball wide of target. Just before the interval though Queens pulled level when a corner was headed clear only to the edge of the box and the ball was met on the volley by Lewis Kidd who fired it into the corner of the net.
At the interval Scott Hooper, Steven Higgins and Aidan Smith replaced Dowie, Burns and Hilson but it was Albion who controlled the bulk of possession in the second period. Smith and Millar both went close with direct free kicks but 10 minutes from time Phil Johnston broke clear down the left side and placed the ball across the keeper and into the back of the net.
Earlier in the week Queens played a friendly whilst in La Manga against Gary Caldwell's Wigan Athletic side. By all accounts Queens played well and probably held the balance of possession but in the end their more illustrious English opponents won out 2-1. Again it was Lewis Kidd who scored our goal.
The next friendly, and first 'open door' one is on Tuesday evening at Palmerston when Kilmarnock will be the opposition. Why not come along and check out the new faces? Admission is £5 for all adults and £2 for u16's.