| For this first ever visit of Queen’s Park to McDiarmid Park Owen Coyle rang the changes with Kevin Cuthbert, Willie Dyer, Ryan Stevenson and Peter MacDonald coming into the starting line-up. Willie Dyer was in the left back role while Goran Stanic took up a role further forward on the same side.
Ex Perth boss Billy Stark’s amateurs had former Saint Mark Ferry in the starting line-up.
After a quiet opening spell where only a Jason Scotland shot from the edge of the box was noteworthy, the 9th minute brought a tremendous effort from Paul Sheerin whose left footed effort from 22 yards had Queen’s keeper Cairns at full stretch to push the ball onto the woodwork and unfortunately Peter MacDonald was offside when he picked up the loose ball.
The 13th minute brought another great chance when Peter MacDonald flicked the ball wide to Goran Stanic but when the Macedonian’s return cross came into the box ‘Peaso’ was wasteful with his free header, sending it wide of Cairns’ right hand post from 8 yards.
Saints were finding plenty of space as they attacked the Queen’s back row and Steven Anderson got his head to a Paul Sheerin corner kick but his effort was grasped by Cairns.
Saints made the breakthrough their early play merited in 19 minutes when Willie Dyer sent a lovely lofted pass forward and Jason Scotland ran clear before lifting the ball neatly over the head of the keeper and into the net for simple but well executed goal.
The Trinidad man should have doubled the Perth advantage in 23 minutes when he was clear on goal at the end of a lovely four man passing move but from eight yards he somehow contrived to hit the bar.
Goran Stanic was having a tremendous time in the more advanced role he was playing and both Jason Scotland and Simon Mensing should have made more of the chances his passes created but in 38 minutes another of his great crosses did lead to goal number two. Ryan Stevenson was on the end of the latest ball into the box and he laid it off to Peter MacDonald who steadied himself before drilling the ball past Cairns.
Just before half-time the visitors created their first clear chance of the game when Canning released David Weatherston but Kevin Cuthbert got a hand to his parting shot which ripped into the side netting.
The first clear chance of the second half was a Kevin James header from a Sheerin cross but Cairns managed to grab it at the second attempt after a messy initial attempt.
Saints made it 3-0 in 59 minutes with a lovely goal when Paul Sheerin provided a delightful reverse pass into the path of Jason Scotland and with time to tee up his shot, last season’s top scorer fired the ball off the inside of the post and into the net.
With the outcome decided, the game suffered in terms of quality and only the relentless noisy vocal backing the Queen’s supporters began to give their side kept the atmosphere alive.
The visiting fans almost had a goal to cheer when Canning set up substitute Trouten but he fired over the bar while at the other end Simon Mensing was just inches wide with a great drive from 20 yards.
In the final twenty minutes Saints introduced youngsters Andy Jackson, Kevin Moon and Danny O’Donnell (making his debut) to the fray at the expense of two-goal Scotland, the outstanding Goran Stanic and Peter MacDonald respectively.
With the match won, the game petered out to a finish but it was a pleasing final score with an entirely dominant home side enjoying a comfortable win to take them into the final eight of the tournament.
SAINTS: Cuthbert, Lawrie, Dyer, Mensing, Anderson, James, Stevenson, Sheerin, MacDonald (O’Donnell), Scotland (Jackson), Stanic (Moon).
Subs not used: Coyle, Halliwell.
QUEEN’s PARK: Cairns, Paton, Dunlop, Agostini, Reilly, Canning, Kettlewell (Quinn), Weatherston, Ronald (Trouten), Dunn (Bowers), Ferry.
Subs not used: Whelan, Crawford.
Att: 1351
Jason Scotland lobs home the opening goal of the game |
Debutant Danny O'Donnell in action late in the game |
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