Queen's Park 0
Ayr United 0
League (Championship)

Match Report

TEN-MAN Queen’s Park ground out a hard-earned point against Ayr United – despite losing Henry Fieldson to a red card after just nine minutes.

The defender was penalised for a sliding challenge on Dylan Watret and quickly dismissed by referee Peter Stuart.

Queen’s players appeals fell on deaf ears, but they then turned in a determined and disciplined performance for the remaining 81 minutes, plus added time.

Taking advantage of their extra man, the Honest Men began to dominate the game and were piling up their chances but Calum Ferrie and his defence put their bodies on the line – and even the keeper’s face to deny Anton Dowds.

In another scramble in the Queens box, Mark McKenzie hit the woodwork with a header and the battle to win the recycled ball was eventually won by Ferrie giving Ayr a corner.

The Spiders finally got themselves some chances up the other end to lift the home crowd.

Ross McLean showed some fancy footwork on his first senior start, to get himself through the Ayr defence but his cross was cleared by Leon King. Five minutes later, Queens had a chance for a two-on-two, but Ayr were quick to get more men back, resulting in another clearance. Aidan Connolly then sent a free kick on target, but it was saved by David Mitchell at his left post.

Ayr had more chances but still could not capitalise, despite having an extra man and 11 corners in the first half. On the brink of halftime, Calum Ferrie saved a strike from Watret that was heading for the top corner.

The Spiders had adapted well to being a man down but both teams were still in search of a deadlock breaker.

Neither Sean Crighton nor Scott Brown felt the need to make any changes and both sides made a quick start to the game.

After just two minutes of the restart, there was a chance either side of the pitch. Right after these chances, Spider Seb Drozd thought he was through for a 1v1 with David Mitchell, but the lineman raised his flag for offside.

Ayr began to pile up the chances once again, but Queens defended well, awaiting their moment to build up an attack of their own. The Honest men were awarded a dangerous looking freekick for a foul by Grant Savoury, but they couldn’t do anything with it, as Stuart Bannigan sent it over the bar from the edge of the box.

Almost an hour after the red card in the first 10 minutes, the referee’s yellows were seen for the first time as Aidan Connolly was booked for a foul and Ayr’s Marco Rus followed for dissent.

Then, as the clock hit an hour, The Spiders were awarded their first corner of the game, it was sent in quickly but failed to beat the first man.

Minutes ticked away and it was becoming an end-to-end game with both teams scrappy with their chances.

With less than 20 minutes to go Seb Drozd was through on goal, onside this time, but was denied by an excellent tackle from Scott McMann who slid in cleanly to clear the ball. It was by far The Spiders’ clearest chance of the game, but they kept on pushing, determined to score the opening goal despite their man disadvantage.

Drozd once again found his way through the Ayr defence just a few moments later but Jude Bonnar crossed his path and went down, resulting in a free kick going Ayr’s way and Queen’s burst up the park coming to a halt.

Despite four minutes added on at the end of the 90, there would still be no goals – a late Calum Ferrie save keeping Ayr at bay and the points were divided equally between the sides.

It’s back to back 0-0s for The Spiders, they remain in search of their first home win and Ferrie named man of the match for his fifth clean-sheet of the campaign.

Match report written by QPFC Online