Queen's Park fail to put daylight between themselves and Rangers

With Annan’s involvement in last week’s William Hill Scottish Cup replay defeat to Buckie Thistle, Hampden Park hosted one of only a duo of games to be played across Scotland on Saturday afternoon, with Queen’s Park’s promotion rivals Elgin City also in action at home.

The home side started this one tentatively and had the first opportunity of the afternoon, Michael Keenan forcing Annan goalkeeper Alex Mitchell into a save at the back post via Sean Burns’ corner kick. However, it was the Galabank outfit who lowered the home side’s colours with quarter of the game lapsed, a through ball found its way into the penalty box and to Graeme Ramage, who had time to adjust his feet and twist past a Queens defender, putting his low effort through the legs of the partially unsighted Neil Parry in the home side’s goal.

This goal seemed to act as a righteous wake-up alarm to the home side, who hadn’t began as well as their efforts so far this season seem to suggest, and within a couple of minutes following the opening goal Queens came close to equalising, Lawrence Shankland’s low drive being tipped wide before James Brough came within inches of netting with his header from the resulting corner which flashed by the far post.

As the home side pressed forward in the attempt to penetrate a well-organised back line, they were denied on several occasions by the mass of bodies clad in purple shirts that surrounded Annan’s goal, a number of Queens Park attackers having their efforts blocked in the scramble within the penalty area during a frantic period of the first half.

But the leveller came just under ten minutes before half-time, Paul Gallagher’s perfect cross picking out Lawrence Shankland at the back post, and the 17-year-old had the composure to control the ball on his chest – wrongfooting his marker in the process – before stabbing the ball underneath Mitchell from the corner of the 6-yard area.

And the youngster came mightily close to giving the Spiders a half-time lead, a fizzing effort from 25 yards that was matched by a strong Mitchell save as the home side turned the screw.

However, the highly impressive Shankland was not to be denied again, deeming himself worthy of the man of the match award – incidentally presented by Celtic legend Billy McNeill – by putting the Amateurs in front only minutes after the interval. A move originated from the right flank involving stellar link-up play from Gallagher and Burns, with the pass being fed into Shankland before turning and firing a shot across the face of Mitchell’s goal and into the corner of the net, further establishing himself as Queens’ top goalscorer this term, a remarkable feat considering this is only his 3rd senior start this season.

The seemingly-dangerous Sean Burns was a fraction away from further extending his team’s advantage, a rasping effort from the corner of the penalty area which took a nick off Jonathan Blake that diverted it beyond the far post. David Hopkirk then had a chance after being released on the right by Scott Chaplain, however there was not enough conviction behind his shot to beat Neil Parry.

Queens seemed firmly on top now, and once again came close to writing the game off as a victory, Shankland turned the provider this time with a corner kick, the ball could only be half-cleared from the Annan penalty area which dropped to Keenan 12 yards out, despite not getting the cleanest strike of the ball it certainly seemed to be netbound but for Greig Thorburn’s requisite goal-line clearance.

And then the away side came roaring back into affairs, squaring the game up twenty minutes from the end, perhaps somewhat against the run of play. A free-kick on the halfway line was punted forward into the box, but only removed as far as Michael McGowan who lifted the half-volley into the right-hand corner of the goal from the edge of the penalty area, Parry remaining motionless as the ball flew past him, potentially deceived by the slightest of deflections, an impressive strike nonetheless from the ever-present Annan man.

The points certainly seemed to be there for the taking at the National Stadium and Annan were unfortunate not to put themselves in front for the second time in the afternoon, almost straight away after levelling. Ramage’s through ball played in Kieran McGachie who looked to set up a simple finish for substitute Ally Love at the back post by tapping the ball across the face of goal, however a vital intervention by Ricky Little saw the ball run out for a corner.

Queens Park may have finished the stronger of the sides after Ian Watt forced Mitchell into a save as he burst by Thornton late on in hope of searching a dramatic winner, however both sides had to settle for a draw – a better result from the visitor’s perspective – giving September’s Division Three Manager of the Month Gardner Speirs some thinking to do ahead of the big clash with Rangers in Govan this weekend after what could have been billed as a slightly disappointing display from the home side, as they ended the day just a solitary point above second placed Elgin City.

Queen’s Park: Parry, Bradley, Little, Brough, Gallacher, Burns (Watt 82), Keenan, Anderson, Shankland, Quinn (Smith 77), Longworth.

Unused Subs: Lochhead, Gibson, Ronald

Annan Athletic: Mitchell, Thorburn, Swindlehurst, Peter Watson, Blake (John Watson 76), Murray (Love 70), McGowan, Ramage, Chaplain, Hopkirk, McGachie.

Unused Subs: Summersgill, Jardine, Dunley

Referee: David Somers

Attendance: 626