As we returned to league one business, we continued our run of home games with the visit of Alloa to Palmerston. Manager, Nicky Clark made two changes to the side that started against Cumbernauld Colts in the Cup, with Jack Stott and Ruari Ellis returning to the line-up, it was Ben Johnstone and Chris McQueen the two players missing out and dropping to the bench.
Still looking for our first points in the league Clark hoped that the players would take confidence from their comfortable victory over Colts in the KDM but it was the visitors who started better and after five minutes Scott Taggart headed over from a Cammy O’Donnell free-kick.
Three minutes later, Luke Rankin got on the end of a ball over the top and Deniz Mehmet blocked his right foot effort. O’Donnell delivered the corner but Luke Donnelly couldn’t get on the end of it as it dropped inside the box.
Queens started to get more into the game and Liam Smith was through and stayed on his feet as he was pushed by Taggart and ended up having to cross rather than having a go himself and there was no one there to take advantage. It was the same a few minutes later when Caleb Goldie raced down the right and kept his delivery low.
Midway through the half, Zander Mackenzie did well in the middle and played it to his left for Smith who knocked it on to Brodie Dair who crossed into the box, Cole Coughlin got up well but was crowded out as he tried to head it towards the target.
The best chance of the game so far came just before the half hour mark when Coughlin was out on the right-hand side and made a great pass to Smith who crossed the ball low into the box for Dair who hit a good right foot effort but Ross Stewart got down to save.
There had been a few debatable decisions by the officials during the first half and ten minutes before the break things boiled over when Smith was booked for a tackle on O’Donnell as he was left frustrated that Queens hadn’t been given decisions when David Devine twice body charged Coughlin. Mackenzie got involved and as the sides came together the ref, Grant Irvine struggled to regain control. As things settled down and the game restarted, Niall Rogerson cleared with a strong header.
On the stroke of half time a free-kick was headed on by Goldie to Coughlin but as the Kilmarnock loanee hit a shot his effort was blocked for a corner. Taylor Charters inswinger was headed clear.
In added on time, Rankin had Mehmet beaten, Ellis was on the line but the ball came back off the base of the post anyway.
HALF TIME: Queens 0 Alloa Athletic 0
Queens didn’t have time to settle into the second half before the Wasps took the lead. One minute and forty-five seconds after the restart Kyle Glasgow laid the ball back to Josh Walker at the edge of the area and the former Queens winger, curled a right foot shot into the net.
As Queens looked to hit back Clark got on the ball 30-yards out but his right foot shot was way too high. Three minutes later, Walker took a free-kick for Alloa but hit it into the side netting. They did extend the advantage just seven minutes after their opener when Ellis made a poor pass-back to Mehmet and Glasgow nipped into take the ball round the keeper and hit a left foot shot into the net.
Minutes later Glasgow had the ball in the net again but it was ruled out for a foul on Rogerson.
The home side had a mountain to climb but Mackenzie was determined and powered through and got the ball into the box. Clark got on the end of it but Alloa blocked.
Midway through the half, Mehmet and Rogerson both made clearances as the visitors tried to scramble the ball into the net. Then as Rankin hit on the counter, he had Glasgow up in support and as he played the return pass, Mehmet again had to make a save.
Queens had made changes to try to salvage something and with Aaron Davis taking up the right-back position he made his way down the wing and fired the ball low into the box but the ball was behind Clark and Coughlin.
Into the final fifteen minutes and as Smith’s shot was stopped the loose ball fell to Davis, he rushed the shot and fired the ball well over. Charters then floated in a cross and as Coughlin challenged Stewart for the ball, it was the keeper who came out on top.
Max Cameron who had come off the bench used his fresh legs to cut inside and made his way along the 18-yard line but then fired over.
The final chance of the game fell to the hosts when Coughlin delivered, but Clark made a poor connection with the ball and hit it wide.
FULL TIME: Queens 0 Alloa 2
Teams:
Queens: Mehmet, Goldie (Davis 56), Charters, Stott, Smith, Mackenzie (Gray 85), Clark, Dair (Johnstone 56), Rogerson, Coughlin & Ellis. Subs not used: Petry, McQueen, Luissint, Morton, Thomson & Trialist.
Alloa Athletic: Stewart, Foster, Taggart, Devine, O’Donnell, Hetherington, Marchant (McGrath 85), Walker (Forbes 68), Glasgow (Farquhar 77), Donnelly (Roberts 68) & Rankin (Cameron 85). Subs not used: Green, Ellison, Buchanan & McCafferty.
Ref: Grant Irvine
Crowd: 741