QUEEN’S PARK ended the first quarter of the season like they began it, and with a similar feeling at full-time to boot.
Just like at the start of the William Hill Championship campaign they drew in Fife, a point that maybe could have been more, and did so without captain Euan Murray.
The skipper was a substitute on Tuesday and sat out this one entirely as the Queen’s Park were kept out by Dunfermline – but not for the want of trying in the second half.
Billy Terrell was the busier of the two goalkeepers after the interval, and it was a much-changed Spiders side that faced him with enforced changes throughout the opening 45 for Sean Crighton to deal with.
Roddy Macgregor then Matty Shiels were replaced during the action, and Louis Longridge swapped with Ricky Waugh during the break.
Substitute Grant Savoury came closest to breaking the deadlock – twice. He forced Terrell into a two-handed parry with a decent strike and was also a yard off converting a Tyrece McDonnell cut-back as the Spiders pressed in front of 102 away fans.
Like the visitors Dunfermline were also missing their captain Kyle Benedictus but took the game to Queen’s Park for the opening stages.
For all the play in the Queen’s half of the itch, Calum Ferrie had much to concentrate on but little to do beyond watching some shots from distance pulled wide of his goal.
Dunfermline had been the team on the attack but Queen’s countered on the 17th minute, Aidan Connolly sending a neat ball into the box but it was pulled out of the air by Terrell.
The swirling wind was not ideal conditions and certainly palyed a part when Charlie Gilmour rattled the crossbar just two minutes later.
A swinging cross caught in a gust and led to a fresh air swipe by Connolly aiming to clear. Instead, the ball blew to the Pars’ midfielder’s feet and he struck the goalframe from just shy of 20yards. The Spiders were restricting the home side’s shots to that distance and more, and holding out fairly well too.
Ferrie’s first take came on 25 minutes pulling a Keith Bray header out of the sky shortly after Carlo Pignatiello had been warned for a late challenge on Gilmour. Louis Longridge was first in Grant Irvine’s book though – contributing to his half-time substitution.
Before then though Queen’s were forced into an early change when Roddy Macgregor couldn’t continue and was replaced by Grant Savoury just before the half-hour.
The Spiders were forced into a second change with seven minutes of the first half left when Matty SHiels pulled up and was replaced by Rocco Friel. Pignatiello moved inside to balance the defence for the remainder.
Friel’s first act was a brilliant ball down the wing to Seb Drozd and his lay-off to Aidan Connolly led to a long-range effort from Longridge, that stung the palms of Terrell.
Connolly had earlier won, and almost converted from a corner, playing a one-two with Josh Fowler and skipping into the box to slash a strike across goal.
The Spiders gave a sign of what was to come in first-half injury time when Longridge tee’d up Fowler for a shot cleared off the line by Chris Kane.
That would be the midfielder’s last act – replaced at half-time by Ricky Waugh, and the youngster provided a calm base for the Spiders to build in the second half.
Queen’s started brightly shooting into the 102 away fans in the Vertu Community stand and the second half opened up with end to end action.
There was siege defending, some tidy football and chances – particularly Queen’s.
Tyrece McDonnell swept a dangerous cross high across goal after a brilliant break by Grant Savoury and Connolly.
Connolly ended a promising attack on 68 minutes with a shot that caught the wind and spun out for a throw-in after great recovery work from Seb Drozd.
That perhaps summed up Queen’s Park’s day. Promising, but without that finishing touch.
What wasn’t missing though was hard work or determination.
The Spiders ran their socks off, and more. Connolly completed his first 90 minutes of the season. Friel revelled in an extended run in the side. Fox and co defended ferociously – and Cal Ferrie stepped in when needed.
Sean Crighton was on the edge of his technical area throughout that second 45, applauding his team’s positive play. There was much to clap, if not goals to cheer.
Calum Ferrie ensured that when a 72nd slack pass from Henry Fieldson allowed Andrew Tod a potshot in the middle of the park and he attempted to catch the keeper cold with a long ranger – that Ferrie gathered.
The end to end action and endeavour continued. With 15 minutes to go Queen’s Park cleared a corner and Josh Fowler did ever so well to wrest possession from Tod and hold off a pass to Seb Drozd until the perfect time. He fed McDonnell through and the teasing ball across goal was just too far for Savoury or Connolly to meet.
Three minutes later Savoury himself forced a brilliant two-handed parry from Terrell and on chances, Queen’s looked to be edging it.
But the game swung like a basketball match without the score and in desperation Chiloka-Mullen was booked for simulation alongside Fox in a late push for a goal, and Henry Fieldson’s anger at the act also received a caution.
There was no such negative feelings at full-time – other than positivity of a valuable point, but one that could maybe – on the quality of second half chances – have been three.
The Spiders sit eighth after playing each team once – admittedly behind their intended points target – but with much confidence from the opening quarter.
After the wind of west Fife they now head for more gusts at Gayfield next week and a second meeting with Arbroath next Saturday.