Airdrie 1 Queen’s Park 1 – It’s a Ty

QUEEN’S PARK were cheered off the field after a 1-1 draw in Airdrie – but it was a point that could have been three on volume of chances created.

Tyrece McDonnell’s wonderful curling finish cancelled out ex-QP man Euan Henderson’s equally impressive free-kick in the second half in a feisty game in North Lanarkshire.

In the end the Spiders remain level with Airdrie – and now Ayr United – on two points after three games in the William Hill Championship.

Yet they had chances to make it three.

Even as early as the first minute Seb Drozd earned a corner from a Josh Fowler flick-on and Queen’s were on the attack, however, frequently their measure Airdrie attacked on the counter immediately and flashed a ball Lewis McGrattan flashed a ball across Calum Ferrie’s box with the Spiders’ defence still retreating.

The home side took confidence from this and pushed on, threatening with a Dylan McDonald scissor kick just wide on the eighth minute.

But Queen’s had plenty of their own openings. Aidan Connolly was full of craft a week after turning 30 and his one-two with Drozd earned another corner that Charlie Fox couldn’t convert and then Connolly himself went close with a swirling cross threatening to to creep in at the back post but struck Roddy Macgregor who couldn’t quite steer it in.

This was a battle for a valuable point in the tight-knit Championship and both side scrapped for supremacy.

Matthew McDermid went from referee to peacemaker as he ironed out several disagreements all at once after Aidan Wilson and Henry Fieldson tussled in the midfield and had a grip of one another’s shirts. Josh Fowler’s intervention also saw him pick up the first booking of the match.

The Spiders came even closer to opening the scoring 12 minutes before half-time when Connolly won, and floated, a free-kick. Fox headed on and Matty Shiels running in at the back post thundered in a strike that was blocked on the line in a cluster of white shirts.

Airdrie threatened again just before the interval but the final attempt of the first half fell to Roddy Macgregor – sailing through the air to send a diving header into the hands of Matty Connelly.

It had been a very even first half – these teams separated by alphabetical order in the league table after drawing and losing their first two games of the campaign, scoring two and conceding four.

The big difference came seven minutes after the restart though. 

Seb Drozd conceded a free kick on the edge of the box and former Spider Euan Henderson swung the free-kick past Calum Ferrie for the Diamonds’ opener.

It was a fantastic finish – but Queen’s refused to bow down and battled back into contention.

The Spiders stepped up the intensity and Josh Fowler charged down a kick-out from keeper but as the ball fell to Roddy Macgregor he was felled  by Rhys Armstrong. The midfielder was booked but Aidan Connolly’s set-piece could not match Henderson’s five minutes earlier.

Connolly smashed another shot off the keeper’s legs shortly after Queen’s replaced Henry Fieldson and Seb Drozd with Tyrece McDonnell and Timam Scott and the fresh legs were in the thick of the action quickly.

Scott was fouled by Lewis McStravick who was next to be cautioned and McDonnell soon joined him in the book in truly unfortunate circumstances.

His clipped free-kick was knocked back out to his feet and the sub took the ball wide into his left-side position, but was clipped and tumbled off-balance and at speed into Airdrie defender Craig Ross. To his own, and his team-mates’ appeals he was next to be booked by referee McDermid.

The game was heating up and Louis Longridge and Lewis Strapp were involved in a bizarre flashpoint in the visiting technical area that excited the home crowd until the referee resolved matters without the need for any further cards.

But still Queen’s pushed.

Since the goal Calum Ferrie had been a by-stander and what he witnessed, what we all witnessed nine minutes from time was worth the wait.

Aidan Connolly scampered forward with options ahead and to either side.

He chose Tyrece McDonnell over Josh Fowler or Timam Scott and what a decision. The substitute steadied himself and curled a delicious strike into the net for the equaliser – and with time to seek out a winner.

The goal woke Airdrie up and Ferrie had a little more to occupy him and both McDonnell and Pignatiello were called in to make vital late blocks as the home side upped the ante for the remaining time.

The Spiders pitched Josiah Sowa into the fray for the final minutes and the Canadian’s pace acaused plenty of issues for the home side, but in the end the points were shared, and Queen’s were cheered off the park by the travelling support.

Sean Crighton’s side remain ninth – one point ahead of Ross County and locked on two points from three games along with Airdrie and Ayr United.

Queen’s Park: Ferrie, Fieldson (McDonnell 60), Murray, Fox, Pignatiello, Longridge, Macgregor (Waugh 75), Shiels, Connolly (Sowa 85), Drozd (Scott 60), Fowler.

Subs: Wills (GK), Carrick, McGinlay, Bradley, Burke