Arbroath 4 Queen’s Park 1 – Heaviest Defeat of the season for Injury-hit Spiders

ARBROATH did the double on Queen’s Park with a 4-1 win over the Spiders to compound their victory at The city Stadium earlier this season.

Again Queen’s shipped three goals in one half against the Red Lichties – this time the home side were quick about their business and 3-0 ahead at the interval.

It had been a difficult start to the match for Sean Crighton’s side – indeed it had been a difficult week leading into the match with injuries ravaging the squad.

Roddy Macgregor, injured against Dunfermline, was missing however Matty Shiels recovered to take his place on the left-side despite his early withdrawal in Fife last weekend.

While the return of captain Euan Murray after two games out was welcome, it was countered by his former Raith Rovers team-mate Aidan Connolly, and top scorer Josh Fowler, dropping out. As if that were not enough to contend with Carlo Pignatiello was also only fit enough for a spot on the substitutes’ bench.

By the time full-time sounded all but two substitute goalkeepers had been utilised from the visiting bench.

Ricky Waugh partnered Louis Longridge in Macgregor’s absence, playing in a pair behind Grant Savoury who started his first game in 886 days. Seb Drozd led the line with Fowler out and Michael Ruth recovering form his hip problem.

Aiden McGinlay was another unavailable to Crighton – in Italy on international duty with Scotland under-19s.

A difficult lead-in became a difficult start in the glorious east coast sunshine that would play a part later in the game.

After just nine minutes the home side were ahead when Gavin Reilly slammed in the opener from close range with the Spiders’ three-man defence with wing-backs, caught out.

Reeling, they almost conceded a second when Ryan Dow ghosted in and flicked an audacious attempt off the post with his back to goal. 

It was all Arbroath for the opening 20 minutes, and for the latter 25 of the first half as well, but on the stroke of 20 minutes Savoury rolled back the years with a weaving run off the right wing and earned a free-kick from the fourth Arbroath player he attempted to breeze by.

Louis Longridge took the set-piece, and Savoury was architecht to carve out a chance, but Drozd was unable to pull the trigger.

As it happened that would be best it got for the visitors in the first half and they found themselves 2-0 down ten minutes later.

It was all too easy for Taylor Steven as he rounded off a neat move from the hosts to double the advantage.

Arbroath were pressing high and limiting Queen’s to passing around the defence for long spells and it was all-in a difficult afternoon against the Red Lichties – again.

Steven flashed another ball across goal on 36 minutes but there were no takers and they came even closer to a third six minutes from the break when Ferrie tipped a deflected Findlay Marshall drive around the post.

That save only delayed the third by a matter of minutes though as Dow got his goal from a free-kick that caught the keeper out in the bright sunshine and sent Arbroath out of sight.

Head coach Crighton rang the changes at the break, sending Timam Scott on for Charlie Fox and re-jigging the defence and the change almost paid off with Scott flashing a ball across goal after great footwork from Tyrece McDonnell five minutes in.

Ross McLean and Liam McLeish soon joined the action but while Queen’s were more competitive in the second period, there was no change to the scoreline until 10 minutes from time when Scott opened his account for the first-team.

The QP youth graduate set up two for Josh Fowler in the Premier Sports Cup but he’s now added his name to the scoresheet himself with a cool finish past Aiden McAdam.

That lifted the Spiders slightly and Henry Fieldson had a header go over as they sought an unlikely late comeback. He had another do similar even later on but by then Arbroath had their fourth.

Ryan Dow jinked up the byline unchallenged and cut-back for Marshall to slam the ball past Ferrie and compound a tough away day on the southsiders.

QUEEN’S PARK: Ferrie, Murray (Pignatiello 76), Shiels, Fox (Scott 46), Friel, Fieldson, Waugh (Sowa 73), Longridge, McDonnell (McLean 62), Savoury, Drozd (McLeish 62).
Subs not used: Wills, Sliwinski.