After the disappointment of somehow losing the game at home to East Kilbride last weekend, we were back on the road again this week as we headed to the Albert Bartlett Stadium to take on Airdrie. Having played well against Kilby it was no surprise that manager Nicky Clark stuck with the same starting eleven.
It was the hosts who got the game underway and in the opening minutes, Lewis Gibson floated a cross in from the right that Caleb Goldie headed out for a corner. As Connor Smith played it into the front post Josh Gentles was waiting but Queens cleared and as they made a break through Liam Smith he was brought down. Taylor Charters took the resulting free-kick but it was blocked.
The opening ten minutes was fairly even with Smith again being pushed, this time by Craig Ross but he stayed on his feet and managed to get the ball out wide to Connor Young but his delivery was knocked away. Back up the other end, Gibson went down looking for a penalty, it wasn’t given and as Queens played the ball up field Young was at the edge of the 18-yard line but Declan Gallagher came out to clear.
Queens started to take control of the game and as Zander Mackenzie played in a corner the ball was attacked by Charters whose header was goal bound until it hit off the head of Smith who didn’t know anything about it on the goal-line.
Six minutes later from a Goldie throw, Charters hit a powerful left-foot effort but it was well over. In the driving seat, Queens pushed forward and as Goldie drove a teasing low cross into the box from the right hand-side, Young couldn’t steer it past Kieran Wright.
Midway through the first half, Niall Rogerson made a good run into the box but Gallagher cleared for a corner. Mackenzie delivered and that again was cleared before falling to Goldie but his effort was blocked.
Smith was again unplayable and as he was taken out at the edge of the area, the ref played on and as Young shot Wright made a great save to tip it over the bar. From the corner, Gibson made a break for the home side but he was chased down by Smith and Zander Hutton intercepted the pass to halt the danger.
On the half hour mark, Deniz Mehmet who had little to do so far collected Gibson’s cross at the front post.
Four minutes later Queens pressed again and as Smith held off and beat four defenders, he made enough space for himself to have a go but the ball landed just the wrong side of the post.
The visitors had dominated for much of the half without anything to show for it and as they allowed the hosts back into it, Smith floated in a corner that Mehmet saved before Shaun Want hooked the ball clear. It was a warning for Queens and despite being in control they fell behind five minutes before the break. From a Queens goal-kick, Airdrie attacked and as the ball was played in to Gavin Gallagher, Mehmet came out to block with his feet, but the home side got the break of the ball and as it fell to Gallagher on the ground, he managed to get his right foot on it to knock it past the keeper and with enough power to take it into the net.
A minute later, they made a quick break and as the ball was played in for Gibson, Mehmet came out to block his right foot shot.
HALF TIME: Airdrie 1 Queens 0
As Smith got the second half underway it was the hosts who made a better start to the game and within sixty seconds of the restart, Mehmet had to get down to save from Gentles. And Want cleared Gibson’s cross.
Since the break it was John Rankin’s side who were creating the better chances and nine minutes into the second half they extended their lead. Gentles looked to be offside but the flag stayed down and Mehmet blocked. As the corner was played in by Smith, Matty Yates was at the near post to score from close-range.
Two minutes later, Gibson got the better of Charters but as he crossed into the box, Mehmet got down to save. Smith made a break, playing the ball in for Charters who knocked it on to Young but his shot was blocked.
With a view to change things around Queens made a triple change with Cole Coughlin, Jack Stott and the manager himself coming off the bench for Young, Luissint and Hutton but they didn’t really get going and midway through the half a slack back-pass by Want was almost punished as Robbie Mahon pounced but Jack Hannah got across to cover.
Into the final fifteen minutes and Kian Taylor became the fourth player of the game to pick up a booking for taking down Smith. Stott made a great switch to Smith on the right but he couldn’t find space. And three minutes later, substitute, Brodie Dair played Smith in but he was again pulled back and a free-kick awarded but Stott’s delivery was poor.
The game was really gone but Queens did push and as Smith played a short corner Charters’ shot come cross was wide. Clark’s free-kick was punched clear by Wright and with the last chance of the game in stoppage time, Dair hit a right foot shot low but it was just the wrong side of the post.
FULL TIME: Airdrie 2 Queens 0
Teams:
Airdrie: Wright, MacDonald, Ross, Fisher, G Gallagher (McKinnon 65), Yates (Burnside 74), Smith (Simpson 85), Gentles (Mebude 85), Gibson (Mahon 65), D Gallagher & Taylor. Subs not used: Melrose, Boateng, Devine & Tumilty.
Queens: Mehmet, Goldie, Charters, Hannah, Smith, Mackenzie (Dair 77), Young (Coughlin 63), Want, Rogerson, Luissint (Stott 63) & Hutton (Clark 63). Subs not used: Petry, Ellis, Davis, Gray & McColm.
Ref: Gary Hanvidge
Crowd: 1102