Match Report and pics courtesy of Gary Langley
Official Stranraer FC Site

For me a trip to Hampden Park to watch a football match with 4-500 people there was quite a surreal experience, but after today's result, it was a pleasurable one. Today was the day the worry lines straightened out on a few nervy Stranraer Fans. The game took place in sometimes torrential conditions, but the play from both teams, on what unsurprisingly was a pristine pitch was worthy of that of the National Stadium.

Both teams were straight into their stride, both side put early pressure on each other, but the first real chance fell to Queens Park on 5 mins when Agostini broke free from midfield and had an early lob over Andy McCondachie, which was just over the bar. Early doors the game continued in a similar manner with no team really grabbing the game and taking control. Possession was easily split. Agostini was in the thick of it again on 9 mins, when he fashioned an excellent cross which found Gallagher in the box, however, under pressure from Wingate he headed over. 5 mins later a loose ball from an innocent enough Queens Park cross had Murray Henderson and Dexi Wingate tangling with each other and the ball fell loose to Gallagher once again, who's shot was taken comfortably by McCondachie.

Stranraer re-grouped, and a minuets later Lee Collins threaded through an excellent ball to skipper Allan Jenkins who's close rang shot was superbly blocked by Scrimgour and forced out for a corner. From the resulting corner the ball fell loose to Collins, who's powerful shot went just over. From then on Stranraer started to hold a lot of possession and began t look comfortable in the game, whereas Queens Park began t look a little over stretched by some fluent one ouch play by The Blues. Despite the early pressure on them, Queens Park had a real chance on 24 mins when Gallagher squared the ball back to Harvey who crossed the ball on for Graham who missed the ball from a few yards out. Surprisingly it was not the most blatant miss of the day though!

On 26 mins the Stranraer pressure got too much for Queens Park, when the industrious and stylish Lee Sharp put in one of his trademark crosses, which Michael Moore and Scrimgour both went for, the ball came off them to Murray Henderson who stuck a leg out and played the ball tantalizingly back across the goal line into the side netting for 1-0 Blues!

Stranraer had the bit between their teeth, and the Queens Park side looked stunned, on 28 mins, when ex-spider Kevin Finlayson played a superb ball across the goal, Allan Jenkins leaped over it, taking a man wit him, clearing a path for Stevie Aitken t hammer a 25 yard screamer into the top left hand corner, which had the Blues fans in rapture, This was Stevie's first goal for a wee while but it was worth the wait - 2-0 Blues!!. With cries of "We want 10" Stranraer re-grouped, but where in some games they may have been content with that and at back a little, they continued to play the game superbly, this despite the fact that it had started to hail at one stage.

On 43 mins Stranraer made it an uneasy half time talk for the Queens Park players, when Finlayson chased a lost cause on the by-line and won the ball from the Queens Park defender, he cut the ball back to Allan Jenkins who whacked the ball into the back of the net past the Queens keeper 3-0 Blues! The referee blew for half time shortly after.

The second half started out fairly evenly, it was similar to the start of the first, with both teams getting themselves into the game, the rain at this stage was lashing down, but once again, it was Queens Park who cut out the first chance of the half, when on 50 mins Graham hammered in a goal bound cannon shot, but true to the luck that Queens seemed to be having today, the ball was blocked abut three yards out by Gallagher, his team mate! It did trigger something though, because over the next 15-20 mins, Queens Park played some good pass and move football and had the better share of possession. Queens Parks purple patch came t an abrupt end on 68 mins however, when from a Lee Sharp cross, Michael Moore fired in a tremendous shot which Scrimgour pulled out a terrific save, but the parry was reacted to first by Moore who slid outwards and hooked the ball into the Queens Park net 0-4 Blues!! The patient fans then started to voice their concern, a couple of young boys in front of us stood up and walked out, which was a shame.

Stranraer continued to play well, with Queens having a couple of chances on 69 mins (Whelan) an on 79 mins when after some good ball control and beating a couple of Stranraer defenders, Harvey powered in a shot which McCondachie was equal to. On 83 mins Queens Park could have scored when Muffed had a good effort from the left, once again McCondachie, who despite not being too busy, had covered well. The game started to slow up, with Stranraer having sewn up the game, and having also made a couple of substitutions, seemed happy with their days work.

Can you recall the piece in the first half about the Graham miss from a few yards out which wasn't the miss of the day? Let me elaborate! On 88 mins Stranraer broke down the left, the Queens Park defence had been caught out and a superb cross by Lee Sharp squared for Turnbull who had acres of space, and time to match, he completely missed the ball from 2 yards out with the goal at his mercy. We are not lip readers but we think he shouted "Horlicks!" as the ball went out for a throw. But at 4-0 up, away from home, maybe The Blues had earned the right to a wee error. The game to an end with the ref blowing up on 90 mins. Credit the Queens Park fans, there was no booing and there was no shouts at the bench. The teams came off, with the 100 or so Stranraer fans in attendance giving the boys a standing ovation, applause which was reciprocated and acknowledged by the players.

Man of the Match - Allan Jenkins: Covered every blade of grass on the big Hampden pitch and was a constant threat to the Queens defence.

Overall Summary- After a slow start the Blues totally dominated the match and ran out convincing winners to keep the promotion push going.

Attendance: 473