NINE MEN QUEENS GO DOWN FIGHTING

Oh Dear whit a referee !!!

Queens will not forget their visit to the Highlands in a hurry as they refused to be intimidated by a big powerful Inverness team and put up a tremendous fight despite being reduced to 9 men for most of the match. The referee gave Queens no favours and his performance can be judged by everyone on the TV highlights this afternoon. Inverness started well and Andy Goram had to be alert in the opening minutes. It looked a bruisng contest in midfield and a sign of things to come as several hard challenges from both sides went in. Queens were gradually coming into the game despite Caley's whirlwind start however Ritchie finished off a marvelous move by the home team, placing the ball behind Goram in the 6th minute. Inverness swept forward at every opportunity but Queen's were more than holding their own with O'Connor proving a tough handful. In the 37th minute slightly against the run of play Queens scored a surprise equaliser when O'Connor forced the ball home and a goal was awarded after the referee and linesman had a slight difference of opinion. It was now game on and Queens fancied their chances but their hopes were dashed in the 43rd minute when Caley were awarded a penalty after O'Connor and Mc Bain clashed in the box. Goram had no chance as Robson blasted the spot kick high into the net. Queens suffered a mortal blow just before half-time when Weatherson was sent off for a clumsy challenge on that man again Mc Bain. The travelling Queens support reacted angrily to the sending off and gave the referee a right roasting as he left the field at half-time.

Half-time Caley 2 Queens 1

Queens regrouped and surprsingly took the game to Caley and pressed the home goal at every opportunity. Little Mc Colligan of Queens decided to have a run at the Inverness defence and seemed to fall in the box under a hefty challenge from a defender. The Queens fans behind the goal screamed for a penalty but much to the amazement of everyone including the Caley defenders, the referee sent the Queens man off for diving and second bookable offence. With Queens now down to nine men the game was now over as a contest and Caley took full advantage by scoring a third goal in the 49th minute through a Robson 25 yarder. Everyone sat back expecting a rout but Queens refused to lie down and big Sean O'Connor shocked the home support with a goal in the 53rd minute after Lyle had set him up. Inverness now looked ragged as the 9 men Queens threw caution to the wind and had a real go. It was a relief therefore to Caley that Ritchie scored a 4th for the home side on the hour mark. Queens were far from finished and scored their 3rd in the 73rd minute from an O'Neill penalty. Queens fought to the end with Bowey a real hero but the numerical advantage told and Ritchie scored a 5th for the home side in the 89th minute to make the scoreline a bit better for the Highlanders. Inverness will not be too happy about their performance as they struggled against a team that was reduced to 9 men for most of the game. Queens on the other hand will be very unhappy with the referee who gave them nothing all afternoon. One will never know what the score would have been if Queens had been allowed to have eleven men on the park. We now have two men suspended for our next match but we have a good pool of players and we should have every chance of a result against the Paisley Buddies. The couple of hundred Queens fans who made the long journey to Inverness were made very welcome in the Caley Thistle social club before the game however I was very disappointed in the atmosphere at the Caledonian Stadium. Like most modern stadia in Scotland the place is cold,dank,souless and for most of the game the home support seemed to have gone to sleep. Give me Palmy any time ! Well done to the Travel Club by the way. We all had a tremendous day out with an interesting Quiz organised on the way up. We were also featured on a football phone-in with Jim TRAYNOR on BBC radio Scotland on the way home when we conveyed our thoughts on the dodgy referee.

Thommo in the thick of the action.