QOSQOS

Well done to the Trust, much appreciated.

Well done again to the organisers of the half-time draw. A simple idea but it’s proving popular.

OK , I taped the game and watched it this afternoon, beats gardening. Epic. Like others, I was nervous the last half hour, on the day I was a ‘bag of nerves’ after it went 4-3 and so tense as we edged closer ( and survived all Aberdeen could throw at us). Best ever Queens game.

As I've had time on my hands, I was poking about on fitbastats.com, it has Queens' all-time records against everyone, fascinating stuff (for statos like me). We have played 3,941 competitive games, won 37.9%, drew 21.6% and lost 40.5%. So we've only lost slightly more than we've won, it just seems more losses. Particularly this season. Our most successful manager, based on win %, is who? Clue, Allan Johnson is 2nd. (He was probably first before the start of this season) . Our most frequent opponents in the league are East Fife and Clyde, 117 games each, Stenhousemuir are 3rd, 111 games. Our most frequent opponents overall are East Fife, 147 times. It even has an international section, covering that foray to Denmark and our games against Linfield, Crusaders etc.. Anything's better than doing the garden. Again......

Last year set pieces was one of our weaknesses which I thought had been much better this year, helped by a keeper who will come off his line with confidence. Leaving 2 up is I think a good tactic, it ties up 3 opposition players and the hope is that if your keeper gets the ball in his hands he looks to release it quickly and set up an attack. However, clearly yesterday something went wrong, it seemed Kilday’s man got a free header and Osman seemed to be in no mans land. As others have said, a man on the post would have stopped it. Overall, it always had the look of a 1-0, we had our two best inventive players (Dobbs and Murray) not really firing on all cylinders, we lacked any guile around the box. I thought United took a risk in grinding out a 1-0, it handed the initiative back to us and on other days we could have sneaked an equaliser. Although not sure how Hamilton missed from 4 yards, that would have made a big difference. I think it was the only good save either keeper made in the whole game. Can’t have been very exciting for neutrals.....

My recollection was it was a postponed game so the draw had been made. It was scores level, up against 10 men, into injury time, Albion were clinging on, and we had a corner. One unnecessary foul by us, a quick kick out and the ball was in the back of our net. Head in hands.......

Enjoyed the game yesterday, desperate stuff at the end but us Queens fans are used to it. As the Ayr fans on P&B are all very reasonable, I have to say that Ayr played very well for much of the game, they pinged the ball about and kept possession far better than we were able to do. They were a bit over-elaborate in front of goal, that is something we specialise in also. That’s us half way through the season, anything could happen in the second half.

See above, oldest player to score a hat-trick in Scottish football

When will HE!

As Dobbie is signed with us for next year, when will blue be old enough to beat Kenny Miller?

I was listening to ‘Off The Ball’ in the car home and there was a query as to who was the oldest player to score a hat-trick in Scottish football. Dobbie was 36 when he hit his last hat-trick for us and he was named as a possibility (hopefully there are more hat-tricks still to come). I didn’t hear the end of the programme so I don’t know if the query was answered. I wondered about Charlie Johnston who played for us into his 40s (I think), but I don’t know if he ever scored a hat-trick for us. Anybody hear the end of the programme and was it answered? (Failing which I’ll try I-player....)

I reckon Dobbie had 8 shots on target and Gaston saved them all. Good win eventually, although a bit nervy for the last quarter until the OG. Good to see Pybus having a chat to the fans behind the main stand after the game, he put in a good shift.

I was on the M8 when I heard, I just came off at the next opportunity, about-turned and went home. It happens, we move on.

Was having a look at Thistle equaliser. Did Cardle edge ahead of last defender, just marginally, hence why he was well placed for the rebound? Can’t conclude on the QOSTV goals package. Very soft free kick BTW, Kilday seemed to do no more than run beside him. Greenock here we come.......

I thought he did well, protected the back 4 and when he got the ball he generally found a Queens player. Lyons and Pybus both did sterling shifts, tackling, harrying and pressing, but when they did get the ball they often gave it away again. If Osman is still to get fitter, he could be really useful in the middle of the park.

I said I was on the wine!

Thought we deserved the win but utterly bizarre last 2 minutes. Dundee had more possession but not much idea what to do with it. I thought we looked more likely to score another, and we defended competently. The Dundee equaliser, however unexpected, was a screamer, we were behind it and it was top corner all the way. From kick-off, we played it back to Brownlie (?) who just wellied it’s up the park, a tactic which has failed every time, up until now. Foster had a number of options but he simply made a complete hash of it, Dobbs dispossessed him a scored with an exquisite dunk. Mass hysteria in the away support. No failures today, but Kilday back makes a difference. Osman steadied the ship in the middle, Lyon and Pybus grafted away. Enjoying a wine....

It was a strange game. Not much happened in first 20 but Kilday going off was critical. The first goal was crucial and Semple just let his man go, was it offside? Suspect not. I don’t want to join in the pile on re Semple, but if your sub is subbed there is something odd going on. For our offside goal, I thought if Oliver had left it Dobbs might have got it. The second looked off but as no-one complained much I guess it was a clever ball through. For the third, it was a woeful clearance followed by umpteen missed tackles. Once we put Holt at CH we steadied the ship, but it was all too late. United look good, I think it is their season.

Just seen the highlights. I watched the Ayr goal several times as I thought there was a hint of offside, when it was headed back across goal I thought Moffat had drifted just ahead of Kilday, it was hard to tell. I thought McCowan was one of Ayr’s better players, not sure why he lost it, it’s not as if the ball was in a dangerous position. I was pleased with both Lyon and McCarthy, they’ve waited a long time and both played well. Our defenders defend well, but when they ball comes to them they invariably just hit it backdown the pitch, and we have to defend again. Holt is the only one who will try to control it and play an intelligent ball forward. There are times when safety first is best, but we concede a lot of possession this way. Good result, especially given the other results.

We hadn’t conceded any goals for three games (still best defence in the league), but to lose two in a minute came as a shock, particularly the ‘comedy of errors’ for the second. Although it was a fine strike by O’Hara. I thought we were comfortably ahead, and I was expecting us to see it out, maybe adding another. Ironically, Alloa seemed to be running out of ideas and were looking ragged until the goals. The one positive was that having been pegged back, the team rallied and looked the more likely to score (and Paton should have least kept it on target having been set up beautifully by Dobbs). Although must confess I was expecting a last minute Alloa winner. The fact that both teams went for it made it entertaining, albeit a bit nervy as well. Not a crisis or a disaster, just irritating having been ahead.

Well if the only thing we have to argue about is which of the many possibilities could have been MoM, I’m happy. I personally would have went El Bakhtouia, but Holt, Hamilton, either central defender or indeed Dobbs could have been. Small word of caution from a supporter of many years. I remember Ross County being similarly trounced in January, we then went on a downward spiral that nearly got us relegated. We need to keep it going, starting with Alloa next week, we really need to get a result against our ‘bogey’ team.

The Jags fans on here are (mostly) being kind to us, if they had scored in the last 15 we would have said a draw was about right. We maybe edged the first hour, but once ahead we retreated further and further back, we defended stoutly but if you invite the opposition to ping the ball into your box multiple times, one can easily go in. We still have problems in midfield, we never played the ball around much, when closed down we relied on the hopeful punt upfield too often. We apparently have the best defence in the league, a lot of that is down to McRorie who as well as being confident in his handling gives the back 4 comfort as well. And Dobbie will score again some time.

Just back. Dobs had a simple chance to make it 2-0 which would have made the last 20 minutes less nervy. We held on, just. Brownlie. Great goal, magnificent defending, distribution beyond woeful.

Positives? We’ve now taken as many points off Arbroath as we did against Alloa last year. We kept a clean sheet. It was sunny. Still unbeaten in the league. Murray looked the most likely but no clinical finisher. We got into good positions but the shots were medium paced straight at the keeper. To be fair so were Arbroath’s. Thought McCrorie looked very steady. Holt best defender.

By a distance. That 4 goals in 12 minutes was almost surreal..... Paton, Kidd and Oliver were all OK today, although we will have tougher opponents ahead. Nevertheless, a morale-boosting win always welcome.