QUEEN'S PARK 1 SHIRE 0

It was the same old story for Shire at Hampden. The team was given another lesson that it’s not pretty football that counts when trying to win football matches.

They had decent chances, and even missed an early penalty, but simply could not find the back of the net, despite dominating large portions of the game. And that failing led to the sucker punch being delivered by the opposition, something fans are now becoming familiar with.

Shire coach Jim McInally resisted any urge to make changes to his team despite losing their last two matches. For the sixth successive match the same eleven started but there was a key tactical switch with the team lining up at Hampden in a 3-5-2 formation. That meat full-backs Dean Richardson and Paul Hay moving further forward.

But it was the home team who forced the early pressure with Michael Bolochoweckyj giving away an early corner which was eventually headed wide. After four minutes the home team should have taken the lead.

A decent long-range effort from Chris Hamilton was saved but not held by Jamie Barclay and the rebound fell to Frankie Carroll who somehow managed to shoot wide of the empty net from just ten yards out.

A minute later Shire made their first excursion into the home team’s penalty box but Stephen McGuire’s shot from the edge of the six yard box was easily saved by the keeper.

The Spiders had another decent chance after 9 minutes when a cross from the left was headed narrowly over the bar by Carroll from just inside the penalty area.

Shire should have taken the lead from the penalty spot after 12 minutes. Capuano fouled Jamie Stevenson as he raced into the box and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot but Andy Rodgers’ kick was too near the keeper and he blocked easily.

A foul on Stevenson just outside the box provided anther decent scoring opportunity but the resulting free-kick, although well-hit by Stevenson nestled into the side netting.

After 23 minutes Shire had another decent shout for a penalty after McGuire was barged to the ground inside the box but this time the appeals to the referee were in vain. Three minutes later Craig Tully headed Dean Richardson’s corner kick onto the roof of the net.

Ten minutes before the break  McGuire was fouled 25 yards from goal and Stevenson cracked the resulting free-kick off the crossbar. Bolochoweckyj collected the rebound and cracked in a shot that appeared to hit a Queen’s Park hand but the referee was not interested in his appeals.

Five minutes after the break Richardson appeared to suffer a bad injury as he went to clear a high cross and the team opted to play on with ten men while physio Stevie O’Neill attempted some running repairs behind the goal. That proved impossible and he was eventually replaced by Derek Ure.

Jamie Barclay was called into action not long after the substitution to turn over an effort from close range for what turned out to be a fruitless corner kick.

The Shire strikers had been struggling but the front two combined on 58 minutes to produce a decent opportunity when Lynch slipped the ball through to McGuire and although the keeper dived at his feet the Shire man still got his shot away which had to be hacked off the line.

Two minutes later a slip by the home defence allowed Rodgers in. He raced in on goal and hit a powerful drive from the angle of the box but his shot was just the wrong side of the post and hit the side net.

A great piece of skill from Lynch on 67 opened up the space for a cross which Rodgers met full-on at the back post but his netbound volley was deflected wide for a corner.

But despite the Shire pressure they could not find the back of the net and, just as the previous week against Annan, there was a vulnerability there. That was underlined on 75 minutes when Holms’ was set free down the left and his perfectly-judged cross was hooked home by Carroll from inside the six yard box past an exposed Barclay.

QUEEN’S PARK : P. Hamilton, Walker, Douglas, Little, Brough, Capuano, Dunlop(McBride 36), Carroll(Daly 87), Quinn(O’Hara 89), Holms.

SHIRE : Barclay, Hay, Richardson(Ure 52), King, Bolochoweckyj, Tully, Weaver(Dunn 70), Stevenson, Lynch(McKenzie 77), McGuire, Rodgers.

REFEREE : K. Clancy

ATTENDANCE : 529.