Queen’s Park 1 Boroughmuir Thistle 1
Queens Park shared the spoils with Boroughmuir Thistle in a 1-1 deadlock at New Tinto Park, maintaining an unbeaten home record this season.
It was a special day at New Tinto Park as Queen’s Park hosted Boroughmuir Thistle on trophy day, marking the final home game of the season.
The Spiders have been dominant against the Edinburgh side in the league, securing victories of 2-1 and 3-0 earlier in the campaign, and holding them to a 1-1 draw in their last encounter.
Craig Joyce made two changes from the line-up that faced Kilmarnock the previous weekend, with Hannah Cunningham and Monica Harty stepping in for Taylor Davis and Olivia King, respectively. This afternoon’s starting XI also celebrated Ciara Bonner’s 30th appearance of the season.
In the early stages, both teams seemed evenly matched, but Queen’s Park appeared to have the upper hand in possession. They controlled the ball well and began working their way up the park. However, Boroughmuir’s defence stood tall, denying The Spiders of any chances.
The first chance fell for Megan Quigley in the 8th minute as Katie McCabe broke down a Spiders attack and looked to drive out with the ball. Quigley dispossessed McCabe and embarked on a powerful solo run into the box from out wide, casually shoving off three Boroughmuir defenders on her way. Quigley made space for a shot, but despite her impressive effort, her strike was well saved by Rennie in the away goal.
The game then continued much the same with The Spiders keeping possession well, trying to find a way through the Boroughmuir back line. Frustration mounted for the visitors as Queen’s Park earned several freekicks in the middle of the park.
Queen’s Park finally broke through in the 21st minute as they gained a throw in on the right-hand side of the park. Darcy Molley threw the ball towards Megan Quigley who looked to drive forwards. Quigley’s run was halted but the ball fell perfectly for Emma Craig on the touchline who lofted the ball right into the top corner, propelling The Spiders into the lead.
Unfortunately, the celebrations were short lived as Boroughmuir equalised just two minutes later. Queen’s Park attempted to play out from the back after being awarded a free-kick near their own 18-yard box. A coordinated effort from Katie McCabe and Emily Arthur saw them successfully regain possession. Arthur was then sent through on goal in a one-on-one situation with McGregor, where she calmly placed the ball into the bottom corner, levelling the scoring.
Over the following ten minutes, the game became more evenly contested, with possession frequently changing hands. Nonetheless, The Spiders persisted in their attacking efforts, with Nicole Cairney, Ami Robertson, and Megan Quigley all attempting shots on goal. Unfortunately, none of their attempts found the mark.
The next real chance fell for Emily Arthur in the 36th minute as Holly Aitchison broke down a Queen’s Park attack. Aitchison regained possession in the middle of the park and threaded the ball through for Arthur to chase. Arthur drove towards goal and cut across her marker before drilling the ball towards the bottom corner. However, Lauren McGregor pulled off a great save to deny the Boroughmuir striker.
As the halftime whistle approached, the Spiders came agonisingly close to taking the lead with three excellent chances. Nicole Cairney’s delicate chip evaded the keeper’s grasp but lacked the dip needed to find the net. Ellie Kane’s close-range strike was denied by Rennie, while Ami Robertson’s attempt from inside the box sailed over the crossbar.
Half-Time: Queen’s Park 1-1 Boroughmuir Thistle
The second half began much like spells of the first, as the game looked evenly matched. Both sides had their shares of possession and tried to work their way up the park on numerous occasions. However, there were no real chances for either side.
In the 62nd minute, Thistle seized the first significant opportunity of the half. A long throw from out wide landed in the 18-yard box, where it was initially cleared by the Queen’s Park defence. However, the ball landed perfectly for Maria Novou-Torrente at the edge of the box, who unleashed a fierce strike. Her shot seemed destined for the back of the net, but Lauren McGregor intervened with another crucial save to keep the score level.
For the following 15 minutes, the game morphed into a midfield battle. Possession changed hands frequently, and both teams struggled to assert dominance as the ball mostly resided in the middle of the pitch.
In the 93rd minute, Boroughmuir had one last opportunity to snatch a victory as Olivia Forsyth collected the ball out wide. She drove down the wing before fizzing and enticing cross into the box. Amidst the chaos, the ball found its way to Molly Orr-Love about 12 yards from the goal. Orr-Love unleashed a powerful shot towards the target, but Lauren McGregor showcased her brilliance once again with a remarkable save to secure a crucial point for The Spiders.
Full-Time: Queen’s Park 1-1 Boroughmuir Thistle
Queen’s Park: Lauren McGregor, Hannah Cunningham, Ciara Bonner, Rachael O’Neill, Darcy Molley, Emma Craig, Monica Harty (Rachael McConnachie, 77’), Megan Quigley (Olivia King, 45’), Nicole Cairney, Ami Robertson (Abby Callaghan, 45’), Ellie Kane.
Subs not used: Lucy Inman, Rachel Ross, Taylor Davis, Elise Macara, Robin Gallagher, Chloe Docherty.
Boroughmuir Thistle: Beth Rennie, Kimber Goodchild, Iris Ramage, Fiona Gibson, Katie McCabe, Lauren Hall (Molly Orr-Love, 81’), Ria McCafferty (Olivia Murphy, 63’), Holly Aitchison, Emily Arthur, Maria Novou Torrente, Beth MacLeod (Jayden Simmons, 45’).
Subs not used: Mhari Smith, Olivia Forsyth, Jennifer Brown, Sydney Hinchcliffe, Erin Sheehan.
Starting Eleven
Queen's Goal - Behind the goal with GoPro
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