Sinclair (qpfc.com)
Queen's have another off day at Stranraer
Sinclair (qpfc.com)
By Graeme D. Shields
October 19 2003
Saturday, 18th October, 2003 Stranraer 1 Queen's Park 0 (Bells Scottish League – Third Division)
Sinclair (qpfc.com)
October 19 2003
Saturday, 18th October, 2003 Stranraer 1 Queen's Park 0 (Bells Scottish League – Third Division)
It was a lovely autumn day in the tranquil setting of Stair Park, Stranraer. The scene was set for what should have been a cracking game of football. Unfortunately a team that could teach the German national team a thing or two about diving and a completely incompetent referee spoilt the game. Added to this was a simply woeful performance from the Spiders that confirms our early season expectations were too high and we are slipping back down to our accustomed position near the foot of the table.
Stranraer are a team who sit second in the table and who possess quick and talented players. The sad thing for me is that anytime they are tackled they feel the need to fall over and con free kicks from the referee. The main culprits were Swift, Finlayson and most disappointingly their captain Jenkins. Diving is cheating and it is killing our game. We see it all the time in international football and in the top leagues all around the world. It was always considered a foreign trait. Yesterday I watched a team playing in the Scottish Third Division give a virtuoso display of this hideous art. The authorities have to clamp down on this. This is easy to say but difficult to do when you have a referee like Jamie Downie.
The tackle that Kettlewell received the red card for happened right in front off me, about 10 yards from where I was sitting. It was a great tackle and he clearly won the ball – no contact was made with the Stranraer player. The assistant referee – who it happened right in front of – never signalled for a foul yet Downie who was at least 30 yards away sprinted across the pitch to pull the red card from his top pocket without a word to anyone. Disgraceful. He obviously saw something that I or even his assistant missed – God knows what - for it to be considered a straight red card offence. This was a vital part of the game and he couldn’t even speak to his assistant who was right beside the incident. It was a terrible decision and it cost Queen’s any chance of getting back into the game.
The game itself started brightly enough with Stranraer forcing 2 corners within the first minute. From the second one Swift had a low drive that just fizzed past the post. Two minutes later Finlayson was released with a great through-ball but he failed to keep his nerve and his weak shot went straight into the advancing Scrimgour’s arms. Straight form this Queen’s ran straight up the other end where Kettlewell hit the side netting from an angled drive.
On 17 minutes a long free kick from Fallon was knocked down by Graham to Canning whose lobbed shot from 20 yards just went inches wide.
Sadly that was the end of the goalmouth action for the first half.
Six minutes into the second half a corner from Sharp found Jenkins whose snap shot brought a great save from Srimgour and the rebound was fired past the post. On 64 minutes a jinking run from Finlayson that carried him into the area caused panic in the Queen’s defence but Sinclair stuck out a leg and knocked the ball away.
In the 67th minute a long ball from Finlayson split open the heart of the Spiders defence and David Graham latched onto it and steadied himself before calmly placing it past Scrimgour into the corner of the net.
Nine minute later came the Kettlewell ordering off and the game fizzled out with a string of yellow cards given to Queen’s players who were obviously aggrieved at the decision.
Despite Stranraer’s attempts to win free kicks by diving and an incompetent referee Queen’s never deserved anything from this game. We have developed a style of play that seems to be the long-ball up to Graham. It wasn’t working yesterday and in truth it hasn’t for a while, as our opponents now know that’s how we play. The sad thing for me is that we have one of the most creative and skilful midfields in the league. Players like Reilly, Clark, Kettlewell, Harvey and Canning are all very comfortable on the ball and can use it effectively yet we seem to rely on the long-ball to Graham. Another sad factor for me is that when it is not working we seem reluctant to change the way we play. Stranraer’s quick players were causing us problems all afternoon and we should have learned from that and countered with our own by withdrawing the ineffective Graham and playing with Carroll and Carcary up front.
Next Saturday we face a long trip north to face an Elgin team who will be smarting from conceding 5 goals to Albion Rovers. I’m sure David Robertson will have done his homework on Queen’s and be well aware that if he stops the long-ball to Graham then they will be halfway to a victory. It would be nice if we had a trick or two up our sleeves and were able to produce something different and maybe even a bit of football for a change.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 1/5
STAR SPIDER : Richard Sinclair (Defended well against Stranraer’s quick forwards)
QUEEN’S PARK : Derek Scrimgour, Danny Ferry, David McCallum, Richard Sinclair, Damiano Agostini, Stevie Fallon, Stephen Canning (Jonny Whelan – 77), Ross Clark, Ally Graham, Stuart Kettewell, Stevie McAuley (Frankie Carroll – 70)
Subs (not used) : Brian McCue(GK), Paddy Gallagher, Derek Carcary
Scorer(s) : none
Booked : McCallum (26 – bad tackle), Sinclair (76 - dissent), Ferry (83 – dissent), Whelan (87 – bad tackle), Clark (89 – repetitive fouling)
Sent Off : Kettlewell (76 – winning the ball)
STRANRAER : Andrew McConditchie, Stephen Swift, Fraser Wright, Derek Wingate, Murray Henderson, Allan Jenkins, Kevin Finlayson, Stephen Aitken, Michael Moore (Paul Keer – 84), David Graham, Lee Sharpe
Subs (not used) : Kenneth Meechan (G/K), Gary McPhee, Stephen Marshall,
Scorer(s) : Graham (67 mins)
Booked : Moore (84 – late challenge)
REFEREE : Jamie Downie * (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)
Stranraer are a team who sit second in the table and who possess quick and talented players. The sad thing for me is that anytime they are tackled they feel the need to fall over and con free kicks from the referee. The main culprits were Swift, Finlayson and most disappointingly their captain Jenkins. Diving is cheating and it is killing our game. We see it all the time in international football and in the top leagues all around the world. It was always considered a foreign trait. Yesterday I watched a team playing in the Scottish Third Division give a virtuoso display of this hideous art. The authorities have to clamp down on this. This is easy to say but difficult to do when you have a referee like Jamie Downie.
The tackle that Kettlewell received the red card for happened right in front off me, about 10 yards from where I was sitting. It was a great tackle and he clearly won the ball – no contact was made with the Stranraer player. The assistant referee – who it happened right in front of – never signalled for a foul yet Downie who was at least 30 yards away sprinted across the pitch to pull the red card from his top pocket without a word to anyone. Disgraceful. He obviously saw something that I or even his assistant missed – God knows what - for it to be considered a straight red card offence. This was a vital part of the game and he couldn’t even speak to his assistant who was right beside the incident. It was a terrible decision and it cost Queen’s any chance of getting back into the game.
The game itself started brightly enough with Stranraer forcing 2 corners within the first minute. From the second one Swift had a low drive that just fizzed past the post. Two minutes later Finlayson was released with a great through-ball but he failed to keep his nerve and his weak shot went straight into the advancing Scrimgour’s arms. Straight form this Queen’s ran straight up the other end where Kettlewell hit the side netting from an angled drive.
On 17 minutes a long free kick from Fallon was knocked down by Graham to Canning whose lobbed shot from 20 yards just went inches wide.
Sadly that was the end of the goalmouth action for the first half.
Six minutes into the second half a corner from Sharp found Jenkins whose snap shot brought a great save from Srimgour and the rebound was fired past the post. On 64 minutes a jinking run from Finlayson that carried him into the area caused panic in the Queen’s defence but Sinclair stuck out a leg and knocked the ball away.
In the 67th minute a long ball from Finlayson split open the heart of the Spiders defence and David Graham latched onto it and steadied himself before calmly placing it past Scrimgour into the corner of the net.
Nine minute later came the Kettlewell ordering off and the game fizzled out with a string of yellow cards given to Queen’s players who were obviously aggrieved at the decision.
Despite Stranraer’s attempts to win free kicks by diving and an incompetent referee Queen’s never deserved anything from this game. We have developed a style of play that seems to be the long-ball up to Graham. It wasn’t working yesterday and in truth it hasn’t for a while, as our opponents now know that’s how we play. The sad thing for me is that we have one of the most creative and skilful midfields in the league. Players like Reilly, Clark, Kettlewell, Harvey and Canning are all very comfortable on the ball and can use it effectively yet we seem to rely on the long-ball to Graham. Another sad factor for me is that when it is not working we seem reluctant to change the way we play. Stranraer’s quick players were causing us problems all afternoon and we should have learned from that and countered with our own by withdrawing the ineffective Graham and playing with Carroll and Carcary up front.
Next Saturday we face a long trip north to face an Elgin team who will be smarting from conceding 5 goals to Albion Rovers. I’m sure David Robertson will have done his homework on Queen’s and be well aware that if he stops the long-ball to Graham then they will be halfway to a victory. It would be nice if we had a trick or two up our sleeves and were able to produce something different and maybe even a bit of football for a change.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE : 1/5
STAR SPIDER : Richard Sinclair (Defended well against Stranraer’s quick forwards)
QUEEN’S PARK : Derek Scrimgour, Danny Ferry, David McCallum, Richard Sinclair, Damiano Agostini, Stevie Fallon, Stephen Canning (Jonny Whelan – 77), Ross Clark, Ally Graham, Stuart Kettewell, Stevie McAuley (Frankie Carroll – 70)
Subs (not used) : Brian McCue(GK), Paddy Gallagher, Derek Carcary
Scorer(s) : none
Booked : McCallum (26 – bad tackle), Sinclair (76 - dissent), Ferry (83 – dissent), Whelan (87 – bad tackle), Clark (89 – repetitive fouling)
Sent Off : Kettlewell (76 – winning the ball)
STRANRAER : Andrew McConditchie, Stephen Swift, Fraser Wright, Derek Wingate, Murray Henderson, Allan Jenkins, Kevin Finlayson, Stephen Aitken, Michael Moore (Paul Keer – 84), David Graham, Lee Sharpe
Subs (not used) : Kenneth Meechan (G/K), Gary McPhee, Stephen Marshall,
Scorer(s) : Graham (67 mins)
Booked : Moore (84 – late challenge)
REFEREE : Jamie Downie * (* = inept, ** = poor, *** = mediocre, **** = good, ***** = excellent)
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